Unicorn Hair and Fairy Wings
by infantswine
Summary: Aludra Black has quite the life, and she has spent most of it in her brothers' shadows. She only wants one thing - to finally be happy.
1. Chapter 1

28 September, 1970

Sirius Black anxiously watched the crack under his bedroom door from his bed, waiting for the light to turn off. As soon at the hall went dark, he reached under his mattress and pulled out a small hardcover book. He crept to the door and opened it just enough to stick his head out, peering up and down the shadowy hall before stepping out.

Sneaking down the stairs, he finally reached the door at the end of the hall. Quietly opening the door, he poked his head in and grinned and the little girl bundled up under her covers.

"Rus! I was starting to think you weren't going to come down." She whispered excitedly. He stepped into the room and softly closed the door behind himself. Sitting down beside the girl and making himself comfortable, he kissed her forehead softly.

"Of course I came, Lu. No one could keep me away from our nightly story time. Now, which one do you want to hear tonight?"

"Can you read Babbitty Rabbitty?" Sirius raised an eyebrow incredulously, giving her a small smile.

"Again, Aludra? Aren't you sick of that one yet? This is the fourth night in a row that you've wanted Babbitty Rabbitty." Aludra looked at him, widening her eyes innocently.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Sirius. Besides, you can't tell me that the lady turning into a rabbit isn't fascinating! Do you know if it is really possible, Rus? I want to be able to turn into a rabbit! Can you imagine the places you could hide?" Sirius shushed her as her voice started to rise to a worrying level. She grimaced and hissed a quick apology. He rolled his eyes and picked up the book, flipping to the page of Lu's favorite story.

"Well, I guess it'll be your birthday in a few hours, so I'll let it go this time. But tomorrow night we're reading a different one! I know you like The _Wizard and the Hopping Pot_ , right?"

"I guess, Rus. Can you start reading now? I'm kind of tired and I really don't want to be tired when mother has the seamstress come over to figure out my dress for that ball thing." Aludra's face scrunched up, imagining the tugging, pin pricks, and stiff legs that were inevitable when the seamstress came along. Sirius snickered, only stopping when Lu whacked his arm lightly.

"Okay, okay. ' _A long time ago, in a far-off land…_ '"

Sirius's voice trailed off halfway through the tale, as he realized his little sister was fast asleep. She'd snuggled into his side, clutching his nightshirt in her fist. He gently pried her hand from his clothing and slowly stood from her bed. He tucked her stuffed rabbit under her arm, and pulled the blankets up around her torso. Placing a kiss on her forehead, his whispered a quick goodnight and walked toward the door, pausing only briefly to glance back at the small girl before making his way back to his own bedroom.

After tucking the book safely back under his mattress, Sirius climbed into his own bed, blowing out the candle on his nightstand. He always made a point to spend time reading to Aludra before bed, as it was something their parents would never even consider doing. The nearly nine year old girl deserved much more than their parents offered, and Sirius was determined to pick up some of the excessive slack that their neglect left behind.

As his eyes started to close, the only thing on Sirius Black's mind was how he was going to make Aludra's ninth birthday at least somewhat exciting.

* * *

3 November, 1970

"Sirius Orion Black! Get back here! I want to read it, too!" Aludra screeched up the stairs, clamoring up them as quickly as she could. Sirius cackled, his lanky legs able to move significantly faster than Lu's tiny ones.

"Aludra Melania Black! It's my Hogwarts letter, not yours! Let me read it first!" Sirius slid to a halt just outside his bedroom door, stepping inside and plopping himself on his bed. His eyes began to skim over the parchment, his grin growing wider by the second.

"Come on, Rus. I just want to see!" She panted, clutching her side as a cramp struck her, "I really need to exercise more." She grumbled to herself, sweeping her long, brown hair out of her face. Sirius snorted at her statement, presented the parchment to her with a flourish.

"I'm done. Here, it's official! I'm starting at Hogwarts in ten months!" Aludra snatched the letter from her brother, reading it over. She looked at him as she finished, giving him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"This is awesome, Sirius. I'm happy for you." Sirius's eyebrows furrowed, confused as to why she was reacting this way.

"What's wrong, Lu? Isn't this exciting? I finally get to learn real magic and get a wand and stuff!" Aludra shrugged her shoulders, the small smile falling from her face.

"Yeah, but you won't be here anymore Rus. I don't know what I'm going to do without you. What if mother starts up again and you aren't here to help? What if I get lonely? How am I going to fall asleep without you there?" She whimpered, her voice trembling as her breath started to come in quick gasps. Sirius's eyes widened, his arms scrambling to wrap around her neck, pulling her into a close hug. After a moment, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away a step. He wiped the tears off her cheeks, taking a deep breath.

"Aludra, listen to me. I am going to learn how to protect you while I'm at school, I promise. I can try to talk to Regulus; he'll keep an eye on you. I love you; I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. We are both going to be okay, Lu."

"Rus, just don't do anything stupid, okay? I know we still have a while until you leave, but if you do something wrong while you're at school it's going to fall to me and Reg. And we both know who mother's favorite is." She grimaced, imagining the pain of their mother's punishments. Sirius always got the brunt of it, but some of the torture always ended up trickling down to Aludra. Sirius already wasn't too keen on the family ideals, and his little sister was definitely making a point to follow in his footsteps. Once her brother was away from home ten months out of the year they both knew that she was going to be the focus of their mother's abuse.

"I'll do my best, Lu, but you know how I can be. Just keep your head down between now and September, and I'll try and do the same. We can try and get a few months of peace before I go. And remember, you'll be with me soon!" Aludra chewed her lip silently for a moment, before nodding her head determinedly. Sirius grinned, pulling her into another hug before letting her go.

"So," Aludra smirked, "When do we get to go to Diagon Alley for your school supplies? Are you going to get an owl? What house do you think you'll be in? What subject are you most excited about?" She spewed out in quick succession, her brother breaking out into laughter at her impatience.

"One at a time, Lu. I'm definitely going to be a Gryffindor, though, just you watch." He exclaimed, beginning to bounce on his toes.

"Careful there, Rus. Don't let mother hear you say those dirty words." She snickered. He joined in, both of them getting joy out of the idea of angering their mother with something seemingly so petty.

Sirius sighed after their laughter ceased, reaching a hand out to Aludra so they could head back down the stairs, the house elf almost inevitably having finished preparing dinner by now.

"Let's go eat, Lu. Try not to spill your water down your front this time, eh?" He glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, trying to hide his smirk. Aludra gaped at him, having seen the smirk immediately.

"I knew that was you, Sirius! I thought mother and father were going to kill me! You're lucky father was in such a good mood and was able to talk mother down from throwing a fit!" She scowled at him, pulling her hand from his and starting down the stairs toward the dining room.

"Aw, come on, it was pretty funny!"

"Next time do it to Reg, I'm sure he'll get a real kick out of it, Sirius."

Aludra passed through the archway into the ornate dining room, seeing Regulus and father already seated at the table. Mother was sure to not be far behind, so it seemed she and Sirius had made it just in time. She sent a small smile to both her father and brother, before sliding into her seat between Sirius and her father.

"How has your day been, father?" She asked delicately, grabbing the gemmed goblet of water that had already been placed at her seat and taking a small sip.

"It has gone well so far, Aludra. And I should expect it to stay that way, should I not, Sirius?" Orion raised a skeptical eyebrow at his oldest son, barely fighting back a grimace.

"Of course, father. Why would I want to ruin such a spectacular day with foolery?" Sirius remarked, just on the edge of sarcastic. Aludra reached out discreetly and pinched his thigh hard, Sirius suppressing a wince of pain. Two sets of footsteps stepped from the kitchen, one the harsh clack of heels and the other the near silent pattering of bare house elf feet.

"I would certainly believe not, boy." The harsh voice of Walburga Black slurred from behind them, as she lumbered her way to her seat, sitting in it roughly. It was clear she had made a trip to the wine cellar for a pre-dinner binge. "Any day now, Kreacher! I expect to be served at once!"

"Certainly, Mistress. My apologies, Mistress." The elf snapped its fingers and the extravagant meal seemingly materialized out of nowhere. The family began slowly eating their dinner, making strained small talk. Sirius's birthday wasn't mentioned.

* * *

21 August, 1971

Diagon Alley was bustling with wizards and witches trying to get their shopping done, many of them searching for the same things that the Black family was. Sirius and Aludra's hands were clasped together tightly as they wove their way through the crowd, trying their best to not be separated. A group of young witches were clustered around Madam Primpernelle's shop window, squealing between each other over a new Sleekeazy's Hair Potion formula. The siblings followed behind their parents and brother, slowly making their way towards Gringott's Bank.

"Alright, children, you will remain here while your mother and I deal with the goblins. Do not move." Orion Black stressed, before stepping away with Walburga not far behind. She briefly turned back around to send a slight glare towards her children, daring them to defy their father.

Once their parents were out of sight, Sirius grinned. Aludra looked at Regulus, a small amount of fear bleeding from both their eyes.

"Sirius, no! We have to stay here; I don't want to get in trouble!" Regulus begged, Aludra nodding along with him. Sirius raised an eyebrow, wondering why his siblings were so determined to follow their parent's demands.

"Come on, guys. Live a little! They're going to be gone for ages, why couldn't we head over to Quality Quidditch and then come back before they return! They won't know we ever left!" Regulus and Aludra's eyes met again, and to any outsider it would almost look as if they were telepathically communicating. With small facial gestures, they came to the same conclusion.

"We can't, Rus! They could be back at any minute, you know how mother is. The goblins will rush just to get her out of there!" Aludra bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet anxiously, "I don't want you to get in trouble right before you leave, then we won't be able to spend as much time with you as we want! You're going to be gone for so long; I want to get as much Sirius as possible." Sirius sighed, his shoulders slumping. Just as he took a breath to respond, he suddenly straightened his back and cast his siblings a look telling them to do the same.

"Children, this way. We need to get going so we can leave this wretched place as quickly as possible." The voice of their mother called from a few feet behind Aludra and Regulus. Regulus sent Sirius a look that clearly conveyed exactly what he was thinking, 'told you so'.

"Darling, I think we should split up so we can finish sooner, we can head to purchase the schoolbooks, and I believe Sirius is old enough to head to Ollivander's alone, aren't you boy?" Orion reasoned, glancing briefly at Sirius's nodding head before turning back to his wife.

"The boy will get into some sort of mischief without supervision, Orion. You and I both know that he is the irresponsible child." She said haughtily, not even looking at the boy she was speaking of. Orion contemplated this for a moment, before speaking.

"Aludra, would you go with your brother? You can keep him in line. Meet us at Madame Malkin's in ninety minutes. We should all be finished by then." He said finally, handing Aludra a bunch of shiny galleons. "You should also be sure to pick up whatever equipment you'll be needing for classes, Sirius." Aludra's eyes lit up, Sirius smiling happily.

"Of course, father! We won't be late!" She exclaimed, grabbing Sirius's hand and skipping away before their mother could protest. Sirius took the lead, heading straight towards Ollivander's. Aludra bounced excitedly, "I'm so excited for you to get your wand, Rus! I can't wait to see how this works!" she giggled as they opened the door, a bell ringing above them.

A sharp metallic shriek sounded from down a row of shelves as a crazed looking, white haired man flew across them on a ladder. He studied the siblings curiously for a moment before smiling.

"Ah, Sirius Black, I was wondering when you would be coming." Sirius frowned for a moment before shaking his head and shrugging, "Orion, hawthorn, dragon heartstring, 11 ¾ inches, slightly yielding. Walburga, elm, dragon heartstring, 10 inches, unyielding. Correct?"

"Erm, sure, sir." Sirius affirmed, still puzzled by this man's bizarre behavior.

"I have a few ideas for you, young man." Ollivander chirped, sliding his ladder back down the aisle and pulling a few boxes off the shelves. He walked back to the counter and opened one of the long boxes. "Ash, dragon heartstring, 12 inches, slightly yielding," He babbled, placing the wand into Sirius's hand before quickly snatching it back. "No, no. Not right." He rushed off, abandoning the boxes on the counter to find another in the maze of shelves.

Sirius peered around at Aludra, her green eyes watching the whole spectacle with a look of complete wonder from beside the door. He sighed and turned back around just as Ollivander reappeared.

"Cypress, unicorn hair, 12 inches, quite flexible," He stated, watching Sirius unnervingly as he gave him the wand. A green candle that was seated on the windowsill immediately exploded, showering the three with partially melted wax. "Oh, dear. No bother, son." He sighed, quickly cleaning them of the wax and reassembling the candle with a flick of his wand. Ollivander eyed Sirius yet again, this time looking quite perplexed. He slowly reached under a bunch of wand boxes that were precariously stacked up from the floor.

"Spruce, dragon heartstring, 15 inches, swishy." He marveled breathlessly. As Sirius took the wand a spray of red sparks flew from its tip. "Splendid! Oh, I would never have expected this from you, child. I expect we'll be seeing some fun and interesting things from you, Sirius Black. That's for sure. Well, you both best be going now, I'm sure you have a lot of purchases still to make before you start at school. And I look forward to seeing you, Miss Aludra, in a couple years." He quickly shooed the two Black children out the door, but not before taking the seven galleons that Aludra held out to him. He left the two standing befuddled on the street for a moment before they got their wits together.

"That was so cool!" Aludra finally proclaimed, "I can't wait until I get my wand! Yours is so pretty!"

"Sure, Lu, now let's head to Eeylops before we have to rush in finding the rest of my supplies, we only have forty minutes before father is expecting us back."

"You're gonna get an owl, Rus? What kind? Oh, can I pick it out?"

"Of course, Lu. You'll probably be seeing it as much as I will. Just make sure you pick one that can actually fly and I'll be happy, okay?" He teased as the two stepped into the shop that was surrounded by cages inside and out. Aludra looked around the shop before stopping dead in her tracks.

"That one, Rus. It's gorgeous! What do you think?" She pointed to a brown and cream striped owl tucked into the back corner of the shop. She pulled Sirius over to the cage and poked her finger in to stroke its cheek. Sirius flagged down an employee of the shop who quickly made her way over.

"Are you thinking of purchasing this beauty? She's a Barred Owl, been tucked away in this corner for a couple months now, people just keep passing her over for the ones up front."

"Yes, please, ma'am. How much is she?" He responded.

"It'll be 11 galleons, if you want her." The employee remarked, smiling at Aludra who was still petting the owl. Sirius rolled his eyes and took the coins from his sister's blindly outstretched hand, counting them and passing them to the woman.

"I don't think I have much of a choice here, thank you, ma'am." She smiled again and nodded, before heading over to another customer who was eying a menacing looking screech owl by the window.

"Alright, Lu, let's go finish up. Oh, what should we name her?" He asked, knowing Lu would want to do the honors. She grabbed the handle of the owl's cage, pondering his question.

"I dunno, Rus," She paused, her face lighting up, "How about Electra?"

"If that's what you want, it's a nice name. Now I can send you letters while I'm at school and you won't have to miss me too bad." Aludra gave him a small smile and responded.

"I'm still going to miss you, Sirius. But if you promise to write me at least once a week then I promise to try my best to not get too sad about it." He smiled back at her and nodded his head.

"I promise, Lu. I'm going to write you so often that you're going to get sick of me rambling on, I swear!"

"Sure I am, Rus. Now let's go before we get in trouble! What else do we need to get you?"

"I need a cauldron, phials, a telescope and a set of brass scales. Where do you think we should go?"

"Well the cauldron shop of course, and then I imagine Wiseacre's, right?" She questioned uncertainly. He pondered this for a second and then nodded his head, pulling her in the direction of the cauldron shop a couple doors down. They quickly purchased his cauldron, rushing out of the surprisingly crowded shop and walking across the street to Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment.

"Do you think it's really necessary to have a whole shop dedicated to cauldrons?" Aludra mumbled quietly as they perused the various pieces of equipment that were undoubtedly too fragile for the eleven and nine year old to be messing with.

"I'm sure there's some reason for it, Lu. Now help me find these glass phials, please?" The two made their way through the shop as quickly as possible, knowing that they were running out of time before they were expected at Madam Malkin's.

Sirius and Aludra stepped through the door to Madam Malkin's hand in hand, just before their family turned the corner to the shop front as well. Aludra breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that they had made it in time. She really didn't want Sirius to be punished just before he went to Hogwarts, as she was certain that his punishment would have involved isolation from his family.

"I assume you purchased everything you needed, Sirius?" Walburga huffed, already flicking through Madam Malkin's fall catalog. Orion and Regulus had evidently decided to stay outside, rather than stand around in the cramped shop. Sirius nodded his head, glancing around for the shopkeeper. Madam Malkin stepped out from the back room, her robes billowing behind her. She brusquely waved Sirius onto a pedestal in front of a cluster of mirrors, flicking her wand at a tape measure that began taking his measurements.

"What'll you be needing, young man? I assume you're headed to Hogwarts?" She questioned, her voice kind despite her seemingly cold manner.

"Yes, ma'am. I need the things that are on the first year supply list." He replied, ready for this to be over with already. Madam Malkin nodded her head, walking over to a rack of robes and pulling a few off. She waved her wand over them, the fabric stretching and shrinking in places, and placed them on a nearby table. She opened a drawer and removed a black pointed hat and pair of gloves, adding them to the pile of garments.

"Do you need a cloak, or do you have one already?"

"I have one at home, ma'am. That's the only thing I don't need." Walburga sighed impatiently from the corner, loudly turning the page of the catalog that she was holding.

"Alright, well this will be all, that'll be 17 galleons for the lot." Aludra glanced at her mother who made no move to pay the woman and rolled her eyes discretely. She pulled a handful of coins from her pocked and counted out the necessary amount, handing them to Madam Malkin, the shop owner smiling at her gratefully.

"Finally. Let's go children, your father and I have wanted to head home for the last hour." Walburga walked rapidly out the door, not even checking to see if her children were following her. The siblings thanked Madam Malkin quickly and left the shop to find their family.

* * *

Hi! I'm working on this as a personal NaNoWriMo type challenge, 50k words in the month of December. This is my first time posting something here, so please be gentle! This is also posted to AO3.

Fun Fact: Aludra is a star in the constellation Canis Major, just like Sirius. Canis Major is one of the dogs following the constellation Orion, the namesake of Sirius's father. It took me two weeks to finally decide on a name, and Electra, now the owl's name, was a contender.


	2. Chapter 2

1 September, 1971

Platform 9 ¾ was bustling with the activity of young Hogwarts students, all of them thrilled to start another year of magical schooling. The Black family stood separately from the activity, the adults looking down their noses with disdain toward the happy clusters of children excitedly greeting each other. Aludra was holding Sirius's hand, not at all looking forward to saying goodbye to her older brother.

"Well, it's nearly eleven; you should really be getting on the train. Should we expect to see you for Christmas, Sirius?" Orion asked, ready to leave the crowded platform.

"Yes, father, I'm already looking forward to it." He replied, only half lying. Sirius turned to his little sister, slowly removing his hand from hers. He wrapped his arms around her, pretending not to hear her quiet sniffles. "I'll see you soon, Lu, I promise. I'll write you first thing tomorrow to let you know how everything goes, okay?" She nodded her head into his chest, not at all ready to let him go.

The train's whistle sounded, warning its passengers that it was nearly time to leave. Aludra unwillingly let her brother go after one last tight squeeze, turning slightly to discretely wipe the small tears from her cheeks. Sirius nodded to his parents and younger brother, saying a quiet goodbye to them all before turning around and pulling his trunk and owl cage toward the train. Aludra watched as he loaded his things and stepped off the platform, waiting to see his head pop out a window.

She grinned when she finally saw him waving with a ridiculous smile on his face, a boy with messy black hair beside him waving to the opposite end of the platform. She waved back just as the train started moving forward, rapidly gaining speed. A hand grasped her shoulder, pulling her back toward her family. She sighed sadly as her father grabbed her upper arm tightly, apparating from the platform back to Grimmauld Place. She met Regulus's eyes after her stomach settled from the feeling of apparition, and he smiled gently at her after a moment.

Aludra walked up the dark stairs to her bedroom, the light steps of her brother behind her. He followed her into her room, shutting the door quietly and sitting on her bed beside her.

"How are you, Aludra?" He asked hesitantly. She shrugged, trying not to let the tears that were quickly filling her eyes fall.

"I don't know." She whispered, voice trembling, "I'm going to really miss Rus. I know I have you but-"

"But I'm not Sirius, I know Aludra." Regulus cut her off, frowning slightly.

"I'm scared, Reg." She whimpered finally, the tears starting to stream down her cheeks. He awkwardly clenched his hands into fists a few times before carefully wrapping his arms around his sister for a quick hug.

"It'll be okay, I'll make sure of it. Just don't provoke mother like Sirius does and you'll be fine. Just do what she says, that's why I never get in trouble with her." Aludra looked up at her brother, glowering at him through watery eyes.

"Thanks, Reg," She remarked sarcastically, standing up and retrieving a book from her desk, "I think I'd like to be alone now, please." Leaving him no room to argue, she shooed him out of her room and closed the door behind him. Plopping herself back on her bed, she opened the book and began to read. The words about Graphorns and Thunderbirds were lost to her, her thoughts with her oldest brother, hoping that he was okay.

* * *

"That insolent little traitor!" Thundered her mother's furious voice from outside Aludra's bedroom door, waking her up. It was bright out, leaving her confused as she checked the clock. It read nine in the morning, which only left her more flustered, realizing that she had slept through dinner and the entire night.

"Walburga, we already knew there was something wrong with the boy. He's out of our hands now, and will be permanently soon enough." Orion reasoned, much quieter than his wife. Only then did Aludra hear the tapping on her window, Electra flapping her wings just outside. Letting the poor owl in and gently untying the letter from her leg once she landed on Aludra's desk, she left the bird with a pile of owl treats and sat back down on her bed to read it, tuning out the sound of her still shouting mother.

 _Dearest Lu,_

 _I_ _'M A GRYFFINDOR!_

 _I told you! I_ _'m so happy that I didn't end up with those slimy Slytherins, the gits are already giving me the stink eye, it's fantastic. I can't wait for you to come to Hogwarts too, there's so much to see and I've only been here for a few hours._

 _I wish you could have seen the look on cousin Narcissa_ _'s face when the sorting hat shouted out Gryffindor. Dromeda looked almost proud, but I could have been seeing things in my excitement._

 _The food at the feast was fantastic, just appeared out of nowhere when Dumbledore was done with his opening speech. Each house has a ghost, ours is Nearly Headless Nick and he does this wicked thing where he pulls his head off to the side to freak people out. I thought it was awesome!_

 _My dorm mates are pretty cool. James Potter – I_ _'m sure you know the name, I did – was the one beside me on the train. We shared a compartment on the way here and we have a lot in common. Then there's Remus Lupin, he's a half-blood, and is really quiet. He seems almost sickly, but he has a good sense of humor all the same. Last there's Peter Pettigrew, and to be completely honest I'm not sure how he ended up in Gryffindor. He seems quite frightened of anything that moves and jumps whenever someone starts to talk to him. Maybe he's just nervous, new place and all._

 _James already has his eyes on this girl we met on the train. Less than twenty-four hours and the guy already has a bloody crush! Her name is Lily Evans; she was on the train with this greasy git named Snivellus (or something) who was sorted, where else, into Slytherin. Evans apparently WANTED to be in Slytherin, but she ended up in Gryffindor with us much to James_ _'s delight._

 _McGonagall – my head of house – just dropped off my class schedule to me at breakfast. I have to get going now, I have Charms in twenty minutes._

 _I_ _'m really happy, Lu. I hope things are going well at home. Only as I started writing this did I realize that my sorting might affect you. Please let me know if mother does anything, I don't want you to be hurt because I got my wish. I'll be home for Christmas break, I promise._

 _I love you, Lu._

 _Sirius_

Aludra smiled to herself as she finished reading, happy that her brother had gotten his wish. She leaned off her bed slightly and reached over to her desk. She pulled a piece of blank parchment out of a drawer along with ink and a quill, tapping the quill on the parchment while thinking of what to say to him.

Suddenly, her bedroom door burst open, Regulus panting as he desperately waved Aludra over. Her brow furrowed as she got to her feet, wondering what had gotten into him.

"Mother is throwing a fit, she's threatening to burn Sirius off the tapestry already, I don't know what to do! Even father can't calm her down!" He spat out.

"Well what do you think I can do about it, Reg? If you and father can't stop her, how am I supposed to? You're her favorite! You do something!" She shouted back, confused. Regulus let out a huge sigh, shrugging exasperatedly.

"I don't know! I thought you might have some sort of idea!"

"We should just leave her alone, Reg. If she's that mad I don't think trying to calm her down is going to do her any good. How did she find out where Sirius was sorted into, anyway?" Aludra asked.

"I think Narcissa wrote her last night and sent it out while on her prefect rounds. Can you believe he got sorted into that insane house? This family is meant to be in Slytherin, no exceptions." Regulus ranted. Aludra sent him a befuddled look.

"You can't tell me you actually thought Sirius was going to be in Slytherin, Regulus. He may be my brother but he can be a right git sometimes, he's reckless and has the subtlety of an erumpent. Not exactly Slytherin traits." She snickered. Regulus nodded, agreeing with her assessment of their older brother.

"I guess, I just hope he gets his act together and realizes that in order to stay in this family he's going to have to make the right choices. Especially now that everyone who matters now thinks he's a blood traitor."

"He was sorted into a Hogwarts house, he didn't marry a muggle! Why is he all of a sudden a blood traitor?"

"You know as well as I do the type of people who come out of Gryffindor, Aludra. The Potters, Weasleys, Prewetts, all blood traitors. It's only a matter of time. I think it might be best if you start distancing yourself, Aludra." He replied haughtily. Aludra sneered at him in a way only a pureblood could.

"Get out, Regulus. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you talk about my brother like this. I would love you all the same no matter where you were sorted or your life choices; I don't see why I wouldn't do the same for Sirius." Regulus straightened his back and stood, looking at his sister with contempt.

"If you say so, Aludra. Don't come crying to me when things go wrong for you, I won't help you fix your mistakes."

"Out!" She shouted, pointing towards the door. Regulus stormed out of her bedroom, his steps thudding down the stairs loudly. Walburga's ranting suddenly went quiet, and a chill went up Aludra's spine – he wouldn't, would he?

"Aludra Melania Black! You get down here this instant!" Aludra cringed and gingerly made her way to the sitting room, dreading what her mother had planned.

"Yes, mother?" She whispered, keeping her eyes downcast.

"Regulus told me that you're siding with that imbecile, is this true?"

"Mother, I–"

"No, Aludra." She screeched, "I will not allow you to become a traitor as well!" She retrieved her wand from a pocket in her skirt, pointing it at her daughter. A white jet of light burst from her wand, striking Aludra across her shoulder, a burning welt immediately appearing under her shirt.

"Mother, please!" She whimpered, curling in on herself. Walburga continued throwing stinging hexes at her daughter, covering her in welts across her entire torso. Breathing heavily she summoned Kreacher to bring Aludra to her bedroom, instructing him to leave her there to think about her choices.

Lying on the floor of her bedroom, Aludra cried to herself, wondering if this was her fate now that Sirius was at Hogwarts. Remembering the owl that was still perched on her desk, she heaved herself off the floor, muffling a cry of pain with her hand. She grabbed the parchment that she had left on her bed and began to write to her brother, knowing he would worry if she hadn't replied by dinner.

 _Rus,_

 _Things are going as well as could be expected. Mother is furious, but I_ _'m staying in my room, out of her way so she doesn't get any ideas. She's threatening to blast you off the tapestry already, but I think father managed to convince her that you're only a child who has a chance to make the right decisions as you get older._

 _I_ _'m happy for you, you finally got your wish of getting away from this family. Hopefully I won't be too far behind you. Only two more years, right? Maybe I'll join you in Gryffindor, although I don't think I'm very brave._

 _How was your first day of classes? I_ _'m really curious about the professors – what are they like? Are they mean? Strict? Are your classes fun?_

 _Regulus is worried that you_ _'re a blood traitor now that you've been sorted into Gryffindor. He thinks that anyone sorted into any house but Slytherin is a traitor and should be left behind. I think that's rather silly, but maybe I don't understand._

 _I miss you already, Sirius. I hope that you_ _'re having fun and making friends with your dorm mates. I do know the Potter name – I'm not surprised he's a Gryffindor. That Peter bloke sounds like he should have been a Hufflepuff, I think. And Remus, I hope he isn't sick for very long! It's his first year at Hogwarts, it must be terrible to be ill when you should be enjoying yourself._

 _I love you, Rus. I can_ _'t wait to see you over Christmas. Maybe you can teach me some of the things you learn so I can be ahead when I start at school. I'd really like that._

 _All my love,_

 _Aludra_

Aludra sniffled, trying to push the pain to the back of her mind as she folded the parchment and melted a wax seal onto the back. Ignoring the tears that studded the letter, she hoped they would be dry by the time Sirius received her reply. She tied the letter onto Electra's leg, feeding her one last owl treat before opening her window and sending her off with instructions to give the letter to Sirius.

She knew Sirius had told her to tell him if anything happened, but she didn't want to ruin his first year at Hogwarts. If he could handle their mother's wrath, she could too. She had to.

* * *

29 September, 1971

Aludra winced as she struggled her way out of bed later than she would have liked. Walburga's anger hadn't subsided, if anything she grew angrier as the pureblood community questioned their family's loyalties. Aludra couldn't see how someone being sorted into Gryffindor would make an entire family questionable to be around.

With her mother's wrath came more abuse toward Aludra. She was regularly sporting bruises and welts, all under her clothing so visitors wouldn't see. Regulus was spared of any hexes, as he was adamant that Sirius had sullied the Black family name, much to their mother's approval. Aludra refused to believe that any one thing should tarnish her view of her older brother, and she wasn't quiet about it.

She had begun acting out in little ways, which only angered Walburga further. Aludra liked to think that Sirius would be proud, but deep down she knew that he would be disappointed in her. Between provoking abuse from their mother to not informing him like he wanted, she knew she was going to have a lot of explaining to do come Christmas holidays.

Orion hadn't been around much lately, Aludra suspected he was spending a lot of time at the pub with some of his acquaintances. He didn't want to be the object of Walburga's wrath, so he made a point to leave early and return home late, usually managing to get back after his wife had drunk herself into a stupor.

Having finally gotten herself standing, Aludra dressed quickly, slipping on a loose dress to avoid pressure on her injuries. She carefully made her way to the kitchen, her stomach rumbling with hunger.

"Kreacher?" She called into the empty room. The grouchy house elf climbed out of the cabinet that he had made up into a little bedroom. "Would you mind making me some breakfast?"

"If you want, Miss. Kreacher shall prepare you something." He grumbled, making his way further into the kitchen to start cooking. Aludra shuffled her feet, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. She had never felt so out of place in her own home.

Clanking pots and pans alerted Regulus to Aludra's presence in the kitchen, and he entered the room and stood beside her.

"Happy birthday, Aludra." He stated quietly. She looked up at him, he now stood almost a whole head taller than her, and gave him a smile that surely looked more like a grimace.

"Thanks, Reg." She whispered back, clasping her hands in front of her stomach.

"Have you received anything from Sirius, yet?" He asked.

"Not yet, I imagine he's quite busy now that he's settled into classes. He hasn't written me in two weeks, maybe he's forgotten."

"He could never forget you, Aludra. I don't think anyone could." He replied, "Father said you have to be present at dinner tonight, we're having guests over this evening."

"What? We never have guests on birthdays? Who's coming over?"

"The Rosiers are coming over for dinner to discuss arranging a marriage between you and Evan Rosier, now that you've turned ten. Apparently the Lestranges want a chance too, so they'll be here as well."

"What? Since when am I having an arranged marriage? You and Sirius aren't promised to anyone!" She exclaimed, outraged.

"Mother and father want you to be married into a good line, Aludra. Sirius and I carry on the family name, you don't."

"But Evan is two years older than me! And the Lestranges – isn't Bellatrix engaged to one of them? And the other is fifteen!"

"Don't question our parents, Aludra. They want what's best for you. And Rabastan is a good man, age won't matter once you're seventeen. I suppose Evan can be a bit daft, but if you tell mother and father that you'd prefer Rabastan I'm sure they'd take it into consideration." He shrugged.

"You don't understand, Regulus. I'm not interested in an arranged marriage! Why do they think this is okay? Why didn't anyone tell me before today? Talk about a wonderful birthday." She ranted, she had to write to Sirius as soon as possible, he would understand.

"No one told you because we all knew you would react like this. Just accept it. You'll learn to like whoever it is they choose." Kreacher peered up at them from their feet, beckoning Aludra toward the dining room for her breakfast. She ignored him, having lost her appetite.

"I don't want to learn to like anybody!" She yelled, glad that their parents had left this morning to go to the Malfoy's for brunch. "If I'm going to get married I want it to be for love! Not for a name or a fortune!" She huffed, turning on her heel and leaving the room, headed back to the place that she'd spent most of the last month – her bedroom.

Aludra pulled a sheet of parchment from her desk, deciding to begin her letter to her brother so she could send it soon after Electra arrived with whatever Sirius was sending for her birthday. She scribbled almost illegibly, her handwriting ruined in her anger.

Just as she finished venting onto the parchment, Electra appeared, flying into the window that Aludra had opened for her. She dropped a wrapped package onto Aludra's lap and perched herself on the desk, prying open the container of owl treats and helping herself.

"Smarty pants. Thank you Electra, I'm going to send you out again soon, so rest up." Aludra smiled at the owl and stroked her head before grabbing the package and unwrapping it. The first was a cupcake with pink frosting, her face lighting up at the sight of the treat. She took it out of the box and placed it on the desk, wanting to get at whatever else was in the box.

A letter was folded on the bottom of the box, and it had a pretty teal flower on top of it. Aludra gently picked up the flower and smelled it briefly, placing it beside the cupcake so she could read the short letter.

 _Happy Tenth Birthday Lu!_

 _I hope your day goes well, I_ _'m sorry I can't spend it with you. One more year and you'll be getting your Hogwarts letter!_

 _James, Remus and Peter say Happy Birthday as well, the cupcake is courtesy of all of us and the house elves here. The elves were thrilled when we discovered the kitchens, I_ _'ll have to show it to you when you're here. The way in is something I think you'll like._

 _Anyway, I love you and I_ _'ll write you soon, I swear!_

 _Sirius_

Aludra smiled, swiping her finger across the frosting on the cupcake and sticking it into her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a treat like this.

She grabbed the angry letter she had penned and set it aside, grabbing another piece of parchment to write a separate letter thanking Sirius and his friends for the birthday wishes.

 _Sirius, James, Remus and Peter,_

 _Thank you for the birthday wishes! The cupcake was delicious, thank the house elves for me as well._

 _I hope you_ _'re all enjoying school, and staying out of trouble!_

 _Thanks again_

 _Aludra_

 _PS – Read the other letter when you_ _'re alone, Sirius_

She scrawled a quick "Read Me First" across the front of the letter. She reread the ranting words on the first parchment, her anger reigniting.

 _I am so mad, Sirius!_

 _I miss you so much and everything is terrible today which is just making me miss you more._

 _I know it_ _'s my birthday, but Regulus told me that the Lestranges and Rosiers were coming over tonight. Apparently now that I've turned ten mother and father want to ensure my future with a nice pureblood rich boy._

 _I_ _'m sure you know of Evan Rosier, he's in your year, undoubtedly in Slytherin. Bellatrix is engaged to one of the Lestrange boys and the other is a fifth year – Rabastan. Reg tried to convince me to tell mother that I wanted to be promised to Rabastan as according to him Evan is a bit of a dolt. While I believe that I don't want to be betrothed to anybody!_

 _I_ _'m only ten! Why why why are they doing this to me, Sirius. You and Reg aren't promised to anybody, why do I have to be? I want to marry for love, not money or a name._

 _I think they_ _'re worried that I'm going to follow in your footsteps and rebel. Not that they're necessarily wrong, but I don't see how promising me to someone against my will is going to work in their favor._

 _I love you Sirius. I_ _'m sorry for ranting at you. I'm just so angry and frustrated. I don't think there's anything I can do but go along with it and hope for the best._

 _Tonight should be interesting, two families fighting over whose son gets to marry a ten year old girl. I just hope Kreacher makes pasta, it_ _'s my birthday and I should at least get to eat my favorite food, especially if I have to be on my best behavior for our guests._

 _I wonder if Evan and Rabastan even know about this._

 _Anyway, wish me luck._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Aludra_

Aludra folded both letters and tied them to Electra's leg, sending her off for Hogwarts yet again. She was dreading dinner, but an idea popped into her head as she thought of what she was going to wear that night. If her parents were determined that she would have no say in her marriage, she would just have to make herself undesirable.

She rummaged through her drawers, finding a maroon dress that had been given to her by her Uncle Alphard the previous Christmas. She smirked and looked in her jewelry box, finding two gold bangle bracelets and a gold dragon claw pendant necklace, a swirling black orb held in its grasp.

Aludra could play games, too. She was a Black, after all.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set by the time Kreacher popped into her room to tell her that the guest would be arriving shortly. She looked at herself in the mirror, preparing her game face. Her clothing embodied Gryffindor, a small sign of rebellion that wouldn't go unnoticed.

She started down the stairs, knowing that Walburga wouldn't be able to do anything to her when guests would be arriving within minutes. She wasn't daft enough to risk her own image by offering a broken daughter to their sons. Aludra knew she was in for it once everyone had left, but until then she was going to enjoy the freedom from her mother's claws.

"Aludra! What the hell are you wearing?" Regulus hissed as he saw her turn the corner into the sitting room. He and Walburga were seated on the sofa, Orion nowhere to be seen. Walburga's eyes widened comically at the sight of Aludra's red and gold attire, raising her wand to try and change the color of the dress but finding it impossible.

"Do you like my dress? Uncle Alphard gave it to me last Christmas, apparently it's charmed to prevent alterations by anyone but the designer. He doesn't want anyone messing with his art, according to Uncle." Walburga's nostrils flared, her face turning red with rage. A knock at the door rendered her face blank except for a slight glare still directed at her daughter.

"Just you wait until later, girl. You think yourself so brave, you'll be begging for mercy by the end of the night." Aludra did her best to not let her fear show on her face. She knew this would happen, she told herself. Sirius would have done the same.

Regulus shook his head at her disbelievingly, wondering how he ended up the only sane child of Orion and Walburga Black.

"Lovely to see you, Walburga! This is such a grand occasion, ensuring the matrimony of our youngest children is just wonderful." A shrill voice sounded from the foyer.

"But of course, Elvira! Julian! Welcome to our home! Kreacher, take their coats," Walburga suddenly sounded like the perfect housewife, and it was clearly as unsettling to Regulus as it was to Aludra. "Regulus! Aludra! Come and greet the Lestranges!" Aludra's nose wrinkled, and her brother grabbed her hand and dragged her along to the door, releasing her just as they came into view of the group of adults.

"Good evening, Mister and Mistress Lestrange. How are you?" Regulus asked politely, Aludra silently standing behind him, eyes on the spotless floor. Exchanging pleasantries was not on her to do list for the night.

"We are well, thank you young man. And Miss Aludra, how lovely it is to see you." Aludra glanced up briefly, still not making eye contact. Julian Lestrange was an intimidating man, and his wife was much the same.

"Yes, your dress is… lovely. You would surely make a fine wife for our Rabastan. Wouldn't that be delightful, young lady?" Elvira asked, clearly not expecting a response.

"Well, why don't I have the children show you to the dining room, the Rosiers should be here momentarily. We can begin dinner as soon as they arrive." Walburga sent them on their way, the siblings leading the Lestranges to the formal dining room at the back of the house. Orion was already seated at the head of the table, fire blazing behind him.

"Julian, it's fantastic to see you again. And Elvira, you look as beautiful as ever." He said, standing to greet his long time friends. "Sit, sit. How have you been?" The adults engaged in small talk while Regulus and Aludra sat themselves across from each other at the table, neither looking at the other. Aludra played with her necklace, the claw warm from her body heat.

Walburga bustled into the room followed by two people dressed in dark dress robes. They greeted the other adults in the room, completely ignoring the two children. Finally sitting, Aludra found herself between Elvira and Mrs. Rosier.

"Kreacher! Dinner!" Walburga shouted unnecessarily.

"Yes, mistress. Here you are, mistress." Kreacher said popping into the room, carrying a large decanter filled with what was probably quite expensive red wine. The meal materialized onto the table as the elf began pouring wine for everyone at the table.

"So, Aludra, what are your plans for your future?" Mr. Rosier asked, peering at the girl from beside Regulus. Aludra bit her lip, thinking of how she wanted to answer.

"Well, obviously Hogwarts. But as an adult I'm going to be a magizoologist like Newt Scamander!" She finally blurted, her mother gasping quietly, scandalized at her daughter's gall.

"Oh, well I suppose that would be nice for a young man, but you don't have to work a day in your life! Why would you when you can settle down with a nice boy like our Evan right out of school." Mrs. Rosier replied, face showing her confusion.

"Why on Earth would you want to be like that filth, anyway? The imbecile couldn't even stay in school, never mind hold a respectable job like our Rabastan can." Julian stated. Aludra shrugged, internally happy that she was planting the seeds of doubt early during the meal.

"Well, he's the most respected wizard in his field, and he's advanced our understanding of magical beasts so much. And it would make for an interesting life, working with creatures. I've thought about going into dragonology, but I'm not sure I could handle feeding them whole live cows." Everyone at the table was reeling; Orion and Walburga were turning red with embarrassment.

"Aludra–"

"Yes, mother?" She interupted, the tiniest smirk on her face.

"Why don't you tell the Rosiers and Lestranges how your tutoring sessions are going, what did you and Master Crane work on yesterday?" Orion asked, before his wife could react.

"Well we started out with reading about the history of goblin rebellions, but then we worked on magical theory. Master Crane let me read about thunderbirds as long as I wrote a report on them seeing as I didn't act out. That was my favorite part of the whole lesson; did you know they can conjure a storm just by flapping their wings?" Mrs. Rosier coughed quietly, the entire table silent.

"Aludra, go to your room this instant." Walburga stated, her fury barely concealed in her tone.

"Why, mother, I was just answering father's question?"

"Now! I will not hear another word of your foolishness!" Aludra stood from the table, raising an eyebrow at her brother who openly stared at her incredulously. She took her time making her way to the hall, breaking into a run up the stairs once she was out of sight. She nearly tore the dress as she removed it, tossing it onto her dresser carelessly, the bangles soon following it.

An unfamiliar owl sat perched on her windowsill; evidently she had forgotten to close it after she sent Electra away. Aludra eyed it warily, it was quite large and staring at her unnervingly. She carefully reached forward and untied the letter from its ankle, gingerly placing a bowl of owl treats nearby. She peeled open the wax seal, wondering who could be writing her.

 _Aludra,_

 _Please tell me you_ _'re okay. Regulus wrote me early this morning telling me that there is to be a dinner tonight concerning you and a marriage to Rosier or Lestrange._

 _I_ _'m hoping you didn't do anything stupid, but I'm also almost hoping you did. I don't know what I'd do if you got wrapped into a legally binding marriage contract with either one of those boys. Evan is insane and if you were to be engaged to Rabastan I fear I may be sick. Never mind the fact that you shouldn't be forced into this to begin with, he's almost six years older than you!_

 _I don_ _'t know why I'm telling you this, I'm sure you feel even angrier about this than I do. Please, please be careful, Aludra. I don't want mother to hurt you. Reg told me that father hasn't been around much, is that true? Why didn't you tell me?_

 _Are you sure everything has been okay at home? I_ _'m worried, I've been so wrapped up with classes and my new friends that I've neglected writing you and I am so terribly sorry for that. I would turn the world inside out for you, and I feel like I've let you down and I've been away for less than a month._

 _I_ _'m going to have a word with Evan, but I don't think I could even get close to Rabastan. I'm almost certain that they have no idea that this is going on but I'm not sure they would mind much. One less thing for them to have to do in the future, and they both would have a lot of freedom between now and when you turn seventeen._

 _If I have to tell Dumbledore that something is going on at home I will. I think he could do something about it, he is Dumbledore, right?_

 _Just tell me the truth, please, Aludra. I want to help you but I can only do that if I know what_ _'s going on. Talk to me._

 _I love you, baby sis._

 _Sirius_


	3. Chapter 3

18 December 1971

Aludra was lying prone in her bed, eyes open but unseeing. Her mother had decided to test out a new curse – it felt as if she was being whipped over and over again, and it took her mother more than an hour to become bored of her. Aludra knew without looking that there would be no marks to give away the pain she experienced.

Sirius was due home at any moment, Kreacher having gone to King's Cross to retrieve him, and Aludra was terrified of what his reaction was going to be upon seeing her. She had to look like a right mess, she couldn't remember the last time she'd bathed, never mind brushed her hair.

She was so caught up in her worries that Aludra didn't hear the pop of Kreacher's apparation, or the pounding of feet up the stairs, nor the thud of her bedroom door meeting the wall. She only noticed the presence of another person when a hand appeared on the side of her face, turning it to the side.

Sirius's face flooded her field of vision, and tears immediately sprung to her eyes.

"Oh, Lu." He whispered, pain bleeding into his voice, "What has she done to you? Why didn't you tell me?" Aludra whimpered, struggling to find her voice.

"Rus, I couldn't. You were so happy and free and I couldn't take that away from you." Her voice was barely audible, trembling as she fought to keep her eyes open. Sirius let out a breath that was dangerously close to being a sob, and brushed his sister's hair from her face.

"Aludra, if you had told me I – I could have done something! I could have told someone!" He forced out.

"You and I both know that nothing good would have come of that. They have too many connections, Rus." Her words were slurring together, but she didn't want to fall asleep again. She feared if she did her brother would have disappeared again.

"Sleep, Lu, I'll still be here, I swear. No one is going to take me from your side while I'm here." Sirius promised, practically reading her mind. He climbed into bed with her, careful not to jostle her after she let out a pained groan.

Aludra still didn't want to sleep, she wanted to savor every moment she had with her eldest brother. He was brave. He could protect her.

"Rus?" She whispered, nearly silent.

"Yeah, Lu?" He responded.

"Will you read to me?"

"Of course, Aludra. What do you want to hear?"

"Can you read _Babbitty Rabbitty_?"

"Whatever you want, sis."

"And then can you read from _Fantastic Beasts_?"

"Absolutely." He couldn't deny her anything, especially with her in the state she was in. "They both in the same place?"

"Yeah." He fumbled under her mattress without moving from his place on the bed, eventually withdrawing the two books. He cracked open the first, a small children's book, and slowly began to read, glancing down at his sister after every page. He was worried, he knew no healing spells. Aludra was at the mercy of their parents and that didn't ease his mind in the slightest.

Having reached the last page, Sirius looked down at her face again and found her eyes closed. He shut the book and shifted gently to place it on her night table. She grumbled at him, informing him that she was still very much awake. He heaved the large tomb embossed with Newt Scamander's name and wondered how Aludra had ended up with it in the first place.

"Hey, Lu?" He started.

"Uncle Alphard." She said in response, not even opening her eyes. Muttering a quick 'of course', he picked up reading where she had placed a gold ribbon as a bookmark. He found the pages filled with the descriptions of Kappas and Kelpies dull, but he knew this is what his sister loved the most. He stumbled over quite a few of the creature's names, and Aludra corrected him quietly each time.

Finishing the passage on Knarls, he looked at his sister to find her breathing even and body finally relaxed, except for her hands which were clenched tightly in his maroon shirt.

Sirius was incredibly angry with himself, with his brother, and with his parents. He couldn't bring himself to be mad at Aludra, she was the victim in all this. Before Hogwarts, only a small part of him believed that what their mother did was wrong. Now, having spent every day with James Potter, he could see that parents don't treat their children in this way. Even pureblood families didn't act like this, at least the good ones didn't.

He had to be strong for Aludra, she had less than two years until she would be free from their mother's claws as well. He dreaded next September, as both Regulus and himself would be on the Hogwarts Express while their little sister sat at home without anyone to check up on her. Their mother would have free reign to do as she pleased.

Sirius placed the gold ribbon back into the book, and set it next to the smaller one on the nightstand. He let his head fall back and was quickly drawn into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Christmas break was not an easy time for Sirius Black. In his attempt to protect his sister he became his mother's spell target once again. He found himself going to bed bruised every night, but he was relieved that Aludra wasn't bearing the burden.

But the break was creeping to a close, and he feared what fate awaited his sister once he returned to school. He couldn't protect her in the way he wanted from Gryffindor tower, and Aludra explicitly forbid him to mention a word of the abuse she suffered to anyone at Hogwarts. While he knew she was right, their parents had too many connections to allow any sort of favorable resolution, he couldn't help but want to try anyway.

Hogwarts had become his safe haven, he wasn't afraid of being hurt when he made a mistake. He'd quickly found pleasure in winding up his professors, it gave him a rush of happiness knowing that even if he were caught in a prank the worst punishment given to him would be a handful of detentions or a deduction of a few house points.

Sirius wanted his sister to follow in his footsteps, to realize her potential was far greater than the House of Black would have her believe. He wanted her to be like him, he knew she was braver and stronger than he could ever dream of being.

However, he almost wished she would be what their parents wanted – a little pureblood princess who listened without question. It would be much easier on her, less pain and emotional struggle. He didn't want her to get hurt anymore, she was his little sister and he was supposed to protect her!

Knowing Aludra, she wouldn't take the easy route. She was the epitome of a Gryffindor; her bravery astounded him every time he saw her. Deep down, Sirius knew she was ready, she was already rebelling in a similar way that he had. Little things – clothing choices, speaking up when they would prefer your silence, answering questions honestly instead of parroting trained responses.

On the last day of break Sirius and Aludra spent hours just sitting together, soaking up each other's presence as much as possible. It would be six months before they would see the other again and they both were dreading it. The siblings knew the moment Sirius was on the train the dam would burst and Aludra would be in their mother's grasp once again.

"Hey, Lu?" Sirius said, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah, Rus?" Aludra responded.

"I'm sorry for not writing you like I promised."

"I know, Rus. School is busy and it's only going to get busier. I'm not mad." She sighed. She did want him to write her, but she felt like she was burdening him when he should be enjoying himself.

"No, Lu. You're my sister and I need to make time for you one way or another. It wasn't even school work; it was messing about with my mates."

"It's okay, Rus. Really." She pushed, not accepting his words. "What have you told your mates about me, anyway?" Sirius finally smiled, albeit a small one.

"They all think you're awesome and they haven't even met you, Lu. They don't even know what you look like! I've told them about how you want to be a magizoologist and how you're definitely going to be sorted into Gryffindor like me. And how you practically idolize me, of course." He said, winking. Aludra whacked his upper arm jokingly, rolling her eyes.

"Did you tell them that you're wrapped around my little finger, too?"

"Pft, you wish, little sis." He rolled his eyes back at her.

"Whatever you say, Sirius. They'll see in a couple years when I'm on the train with you that I'm really the one in charge here." She grinned at him, dragging him over for a hug. They sat holding each other, her head on his chest, for longer than either would admit before getting up and slowly preparing for Sirius's departure.

"I'm going to miss you, Aludra." He whispered into her hair when he gave her a last hug goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you more, Rus." She mumbled back into his chest.

"Not possible." He pulled away, holding her at arm's length. "Be strong, okay? It'll be June before you know it."

"I hope so. Pay attention in class so you can teach me some stuff over the summer, okay? And tell James, Remus, and Peter that I said hello, yeah?"

"Course, Lu." Kreacher came into the room then, and nearly forced Sirius out of the house. "I love you!" He shouted before he could be swept away by the elf's magic.

"I love you more, Rus!" And then he was gone. She was alone again.

* * *

Summer 1972

Aludra was grateful that Sirius's first year had reached its end. She hated herself for hoping that he would take the brunt of their mother's wrath while he was home, but her mind wouldn't allow her to think any other way.

The moment he had arrived she realized that luck was not on her side. Walburga showed quite an amount of endurance in punishing both her children, managing to keep up with the level of abuse that she had shown during the school year. Orion was still usually nowhere to be found, spending most of his time outside of the home. Regulus kept to himself, usually remaining in his bedroom or the library, only appearing for meals.

Sirius tried his best to keep their mother's attention of himself, getting the brunt of her anger and frustration. He was unable to distract her from Aludra fully, but he felt it was his duty to at least attempt to protect his sister in any way he could.

Aludra was reveling in the relative peace of summer. She was dreading September, as both of her brothers would be leaving for Hogwarts, and she would be at the full mercy of their mother. She had to continue reminding herself that it was only a year, and she would be off to school soon enough.

Sirius captivated her with stories of his mischief at Hogwarts whenever they were alone. He told her of pranks he had pulled with his new friends, and how different life was when there was little to fear if a mistake was made. He told her of James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, and what classes they all excelled in. He told her of History of Magic and how he was one of the only ones who managed to stay awake, consuming all the material that the ghost of a professor spewed just so he could teach it to his little sister when he returned home.

And Sirius did teach her. He would pull out his textbooks and wand and show her the things he had learned. He showed her how to levitate a quill and read her passages on Uric the Oddball. He stole a needle from Kreacher's cupboard and transfigured it into a match and back again.

Aludra couldn't wait, and she almost wished she had been born a month earlier, though when she told her brother this he informed her that she almost certainly wouldn't have lived, she had already been quite premature.

The summer seemed to fly by, despite the continued abuse from their mother. August was soon upon them, and another trip to Diagon Alley was in order, this time mainly for Regulus. Orion failed to come along, so Regulus did his first year shopping with Walburga while Sirius and Aludra were sent off on their own with a handful of gold galleons and a time to meet back at Madam Malkin's.

Aludra ushered Sirius past Gambol and Japes to Flourish and Blotts to buy his textbooks. She was easily distracted by the magical creature section, and Sirius had to return the favor and force her away from the books and onto Eeylops to purchase some owl food and treats for her to keep at home for Electra. They easily completed their shopping; the second year supply list was much shorter than the first year's.

Having more than a two hours before their mother expected them, they decided to sneak off to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour to have a quick treat. Aludra was thrilled, she couldn't remember the last time she was able to eat something so sweet. Sirius watched her blissfully eating her ice cream, glad she got to enjoy herself before he would have to leave her behind.

He vowed to himself that he would check in on his little sister often, he was terrified of what their mother was going to do to her when they were alone with no one to stop the abuse. At least during the previous year Regulus had been around to subdue their mother at some points, but this year Aludra was going to have to face Walburga head on.

He was drawn from his thoughts when Aludra's spoon clanked in her dish, his sister licking her lips of the remaining dessert. He smiled at her as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Hey Rus, can we head back to Flourish and Blotts? I want to see what they have in the magical creature section, maybe I can sneak a couple books with the money we have left over, mother won't suspect anything if we put them in with your textbooks." She began rambling on about how there was a new book on aquatic beasts she had seen as they stood and began walking toward the shop.

"Lu?" He raised an eyebrow at her as she nearly walked past the bookstore, only halting when she realized that her brother wasn't beside her.

"Oh, whoops!" Aludra shrugged, opening the shop door and announcing their presence with a ringing bell.

"Are you okay, Lu? You don't usually get lost in your head like that." He questioned, concerned.

"I'm fine, Rus, just getting a bit tired is all." She explained, looking everywhere but Sirius's face. He stepped in between her and the books, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I know you're not fine, Aludra. It's okay to be sad or scared that me and Reg are leaving, you know." She sighed, her shoulders slumping from their false bravado.

"I'm terrified, Sirius, not scared. You both get to leave for months and I'm not going to see you and there will be no one to check on me to make sure I'm okay and-"

"I'll make sure you're okay, Lu. I'll write you twice a week and if you don't respond I'm going straight to Dumbledore, I swear. He can help you, really!" Aludra's eyes widened.

"No!" She blurted, "Sirius you can't. We've talked about this, there's nothing anyone can do, mother has too many friends in high places. It's just a year, right?" Sirius shook his head, knowing she was still right.

"If it gets bad I'm telling someone, Lu. I can't sit by and let you be killed by our own mother!"

"Sirius, can I just look at the books, I don't want to talk about this." Sirius stepped aside, defeated. How his sister went from a rambling, nervous mess to a dignified, straight-backed girl was lost to him. He watched as she perused the never ending shelves, looking for the perfect books.

He eventually wandered a little ways away, looking at charms books that detailed pranks and jokes to play on one's friends. He kept Aludra in his line of sight, as she was in her own little world and completely ignorant of the people around her. She pulled book after book of the shelves, replacing all but four of them. She looked around, finally realizing that her brother wasn't next to her.

Sirius raised his hand, waving it above his head to catch her attention. Suddenly he was attacked from behind, a heavy force throwing him forward. Aludra's eyes widened in alarm as she quickly wove her way over to her brother.

"Sirius!" A familiar voice shouted, "I didn't know you'd be here! Why haven't you responded to my owls all summer? What have you been up to?" Aludra vaguely recognized the messy haired boy that was excitedly hugging Sirius, and she approached them just as the boy let him go.

"James! How are you?" Ignoring all the questions, "This is my little sister Aludra, I've told you about her loads." He grabbed Aludra and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she struggled not to drop the four large books held in her arms.

"Oh, hello, Aludra." James greeted much calmer than how he'd greeted her brother. "He has told me a lot about you. All good things, of course." He grabbed two of the books that she was holding, Sirius taking the other two from her hands.

"Are you excited to go back to school?" She asked innocently after quietly thanking the both of them.

"Am I excited?" He nearly shouted, "I'm thrilled! We get to try out for Quidditch this year! No doubt me and Sirius here will make the team together! My parents already bought me a Nimbus 1001, it'll be the fastest broom on the team!" Aludra was quickly tiring of James's energetic chatter, though she did raise an eyebrow in Sirius's direction at the mention of him trying out for the Gryffindor House Quidditch team.

"I didn't know you were trying out for Quidditch, Rus." She stated.

"Erm, well, I guess it never seemed too important." He shrugged, feigning innocence. "I probably won't make the team anyway."

"You kidding, Sirius? We practiced whenever we had a chance last year, of course you'll make the team!" James said, confused.

"I'm sure you'll both make the team." Aludra placated, "What positions are you trying out for?"

"I'm going for chaser, and your brother is going for beater. We'll get it, for sure." He stated cockily, and Aludra just nodded. She glanced at the large clock that was hung above the register, and started at the time.

"Sirius! We have to meet mother in five minutes!" She shrieked, and Sirius's eyes widened in a way that would have been comical if not for the panic seeping into her being. He floundered for the books in James's hands and rushed towards the register, thankful there happened to be no line, the cashier leaning against the counter sleepily. He easily tossed her the money for the books and nearly ran to the door, snagging Aludra's arm on his way past.

"I'll see you on the train, James! We have to go before mother gets pissed!" James shouted his goodbyes as the siblings ran to Madam Malkin's, tightly holding their bags to avoid dropping them. Their mother was standing outside the shop, her arms crossed and her face showing just how angry she was.

"You two little imbeciles, how hard is it to keep track of the time! You're in for it when we return home, mark my words." She barked, Aludra looking to the ground while Sirius raised his chin defiantly.

Walburga glared at her son, daring him to cross her. He opened his mouth to speak, stopping himself only when Aludra grabbed his hand, squeezing it, silently begging him to keep his words to himself.

"I thought so. Now you will both wait here while I tend to your brother. If you so much as move an inch your punishment will include no meals for a week, understood?" The siblings muttered affirmatively under their breaths as they continued grasping each other's hand.

Sirius only listened as he knew his behavior would affect his sister as well, so they both stood stock still until Regulus and Walburga emerged from the clothing shop.

Walburga hurried them along to the Leaky Cauldron to access the floo, considering apparation was out of the question with all three of her children with her. She went home first, assuming the three would follow behind her. Regulus turned to his siblings before climbing in the fireplace, his face drawn tight.

"Please behave tonight, I don't want mother to be in a foul mood. At least a fouler one than she is in now." He stressed, throwing the floo powder and disappearing before the two could respond.

"Smarmy git." Sirius muttered as Aludra stepped into the fireplace after Regulus. She rolled her eyes at him and quickly flooed home, not wanting to listen to Sirius complain about their brother yet again.

As she arrived home, the first thing Aludra noticed was Orion seated on the sofa in the sitting room. She lit up, excited to see her father for the first time all summer.

"Father!" She exclaimed, as he stood to greet her.

"Hello, Aludra. Have you been well?" He asked formally. She nodded, standing straighter than she had when she had first exited the fireplace.

"I have, father. And you?" She asked back, just as the fireplace roared to life behind her and Sirius stepped out. Orion's face soured, not at all happy to see his eldest son.

"Sirius. Your mother wants you to head straight to your bedroom; she will retrieve you when she is ready to deal your punishment for your behavior." He stated, showing no emotion. Sirius sneered at his father and took the bags that Aludra had dropped upon seeing Orion, walking out of the room. His steps thundered up the stairs, and a door slammed moments later.

"Father, I've missed you." She admitted, looking up at him. He gave her a small smile, having missed her as well. "Will you be around more once Regulus and Sirius head off to school? I fear I will be quite lonely once they've left."

"I don't know, Aludra. I can schedule you more tutoring sessions in the meantime; I'm sure it'll keep you quite busy and out of trouble." He said knowingly. He knew what his wife was like with their children, and while he wished he could step in he knew that it would only make her temper worse.

"I know this is a lot to ask, but can I study magical creatures this year, father? I really find them interesting! I promise I'll write as much as Master Crane demands of me on the subject." She begged, wanting desperately to spend time on her favorite subject. He pondered this briefly before responding.

"I'll tell Master Crane to add it into your schedule. I expect you to spend twice as much time on your more important studies over this, but I suppose I can allow it. Let's not tell your mother of this, alright?" He advised, clearly not leaving it up to debate.

"I won't father, I swear it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She chirped, her father chuckling at her excitement. He was never able to deny his daughter anything she asked for, despite his quite strict persona.

"You should head up to your bedroom to prepare for dinner, I'm going to have a word with your mother about this punishment of yours. Go on." He urged, stepping out of the room and heading toward his office. She stumbled her way up the stairs, happy she was able to see her father. On her way past Sirius's room she poked her head in to see him seated on his bed flipping through one of his new textbooks.

"Hey, Rus." She said from the door. His head flew up, his expression only relaxing when he saw who was at the door.

"Hey, Lu." He responded solemnly. Her face scrunched in confusion.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I don't know what mother is going to do to us, Lu. I should have just kept my head down, I should have had us go straight to Madam Malkin's from Florlean Fortescue's. I can't believe I managed to get both of us punished." He moaned, his eyes wide with fear. Aludra shook her head at him.

"Father went to speak with her, I think he's going to try and talk her out of punishing me, at least." She confided, unhappy that she wasn't able to say he would be off the hook as well.

"Good." He stated. "I hate that you get in trouble for my mistakes, at least father is on your side. I can handle mother, Lu. Really, I'll be fine." He assured her. She conceded, knowing it was a losing battle to convince him otherwise. She gestured to his wardrobe.

"You should prepare for dinner, Rus. Mother will be furious if you aren't ready when she calls. Try not to make this worse, yeah?" She pushed as she started out the door, not waiting for his response. She went to her own bedroom and shut the door. Dinner was a formal affair in the Black household, no matter who was present.

It took Aludra almost no time to get ready; she dressed in a simple black skirt and navy blouse, wearing no jewelry other than the gold dragon claw necklace that she hadn't been seen without since the previous September. Slipping on her black Mary Jane's she left her room once again, starting down the stairs to the dining room. It was better for her to be early for dinner, especially with the mood her mother was in.

Aludra hoped the remainder of the summer would pass easily. She hoped her father would be home more after the boys left for school. And she hoped most of all that the next year would go quickly, as she didn't know how much more time in The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black she could handle.

* * *

 **Merry Christmas (Eve) to those who celebrate it!**


	4. Chapter 4

1 September 1972

Aludra had said her tearful goodbyes to her brothers before they left for King's Cross, as Walburga decided that there was no reason for her to come along to the platform this year. She had hugged Regulus tightly, but she had clung to Sirius until he had to pry her off to make it to the station on time. She didn't want to be left behind this year, she was terrified.

When Walburga returned from seeing her sons off to Hogwarts she wasted no time in laying into Aludra. She demanded that Aludra stay out of her sight for the remainder of the day and sent her off to begin her tutoring with a slap to the cheek for not leaving for the library immediately.

Aludra set to work, reading the history of magic textbook that Master Crane had left for her the previous week. While Master Crane was a strict man, he wasn't unreasonable. He made sure to keep her magical creatures studies quiet but plentiful, and was secretly quite proud that his charge seemed to have already found her calling. Master Crane had managed to work beasts into almost all of her subjects, giving Aludra work on the history of Uric the Oddball and had her learn potions theory related to healing potions for beasts.

As she read on how Uric had attempted to change the laws surrounding fwoopers, Aludra's mind wandered to her siblings. She feared what her mother's reaction would be if Regulus was sorted anywhere but Slytherin, but also feared what her response would be if he was sorted into the family's house.

It was only about twenty hours that she had to wait, but she knew it was going to feel like a lifetime. Orion had left early that morning, before any of the other inhabitants of the house had even stirred in their beds. Aludra had a feeling that she would rarely be seeing him throughout the next few months, just the same as it had been the previous year.

"Miss Aludra?" The crackly voice of Kreacher sounded from the doorway of the library. She turned around in her seat, and raised her eyebrows at the elf questioningly.

"Yes, Kreacher?"

"Mistress would like Kreacher to remind Miss Aludra that Mistress is to go to the Malfoy's for brunch, and Mistress wants Miss Aludra to know that she is to continue her studies while Mistress is away." The elf rambled, glaring at Aludra menacingly.

"Alright, Kreacher. Can you bring me some tea and biscuits when she leaves?" She asked, thought she knew that the elf would be unable to say no.

"Yes, Miss Aludra. Kreacher will retrieve them for you when Mistress leaves." The elf popped out of the room without another word, leaving Aludra to her studies once again.

Thankfully, once she became engrossed in her reading the day passed quickly, Aludra only stopping to have a snack or grab a different book. Walburga had evidently returned at some point during the day, as had Orion by the time dinner came around.

The meal was a quiet affair, only stiff small talk was passed between the remaining family members. The moment she had cleaned her plate Aludra was permitted to go to her bedroom to get ready for bed, which she did quickly.

Sleep did not come easily to Aludra that night, despite her desire to fall unconscious. Even after she had fallen asleep her worries were not lost to her. Nightmares plagued her dreams, images of being abandoned and locked away terrifying her as she shot awake the following morning.

An owl was rapidly flapping its wings outside her window, tapping on the window with its beak every few seconds. She threw herself out of bed, her heart still racing from the terror of her dreams that were quickly fading from her memory.

Aludra was surprised when not one owl but two entered through the window when she opened it, one being unfamiliar and the other being Electra. She untied the letters from both owls, giving the unfamiliar one a single treat and shooing it out the window. She let Electra settle in on her desk, providing her with a bowl of water and a handful of treats.

She opened the letter from the unfamiliar owl first, almost certain it was from Regulus and wanting to know how his first day at Hogwarts had gone.

 _Aludra,_

 _I am quite proud to say that I have been sorted into the Slytherin House. I have already sent mother a letter telling her of the news, not that there was any doubt that I would follow the Black family way._

 _The Slytherin students are incredibly welcoming. I have already met with many of the children of our parents_ _' acquaintances, and they are all as pleasant as their parents._

 _The Gryffindors have been absolutely dreadful. I can see how Sirius fits in there, they are loud and obnoxious. They couldn_ _'t keep quiet long enough to allow the headmaster to finish his opening speech, which was unbelievably rude._

 _I am certain you will be in this house with me this time next year, you would find many promising friendships here._

 _Regulus_

Aludra was happy she had received Regulus's letter while alone, as she was sure her face betrayed her apprehension. She was unsure of Regulus's views of his classmates, and their frame of mind apparently differed more than she was previously aware. She was interested in what Sirius had to say about their brother's sorting, and quickly tore open the letter from him.

 _Dearest Little Lu,_

 _Well, it seems it_ _'s just you and me against the world. Dear Regulus has been sorted into the family house, and I think we both know that you don't belong with the snakes. James and I talked last night and we both agree that you'll be sitting here with us next year._

 _I mean, I won_ _'t be mad if you're sorted elsewhere, of course. I love you and everything, I just truly believe that you're a Gryffindor at heart._

 _We just have to hope that Regulus can keep his own head and will realize that he can have thoughts that are different from our family and his house._

 _Anyway, I know you want to know about what I_ _'m going to be doing this year. Us Gryffindors have History of Magic first thing with the Hufflepuffs, which should be absolutely riveting. I have no idea why anyone in their right mind would schedule that boring class first thing, but I'll do my best to pay attention (and stay awake) so I can tell you what we're learning._

 _James and Remus say hello, Peter is still up in the dorm but I_ _'m sure if he was here he would say hello as well._

 _We have to get going, but I love you, Lu. I can_ _'t wait until you're here with me next year, we're going to have loads of fun._

 _Write to me as soon as you get the chance!_

 _Your favorite brother,_

 _Sirius Orion Black III_

Aludra snorted to herself as she read how he had signed his letter. She felt conflicted, she loved both of her brothers and she was worried that if either believed she had sided with the other there would be mutiny.

All she wanted was her family, no matter who they were or where they found them self.

* * *

29 September 1972

Aludra's Hogwarts letter arrived during the afternoon of her eleventh birthday. She had so far spent the entirety of her birthday alone, her mother and father having both left before she had even gotten out of bed.

She only needed to skim the letter, having memorized Sirius's letter two years earlier. While she was excited, there was no one to share it with which dimmed her elation significantly.

There was such a long wait until Aludra's first year would begin, and she didn't want to get ahead of herself.

Along with the school owl bearing her acceptance letter, Electra had come to deliver a cupcake like she had the previous year. Only a short note accompanied it, wishing her a quick happy birthday courtesy of Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter. Regulus didn't send her anything, but Aludra wasn't expecting it. He was never one for outright displays of affection.

Walburga had so far been surprisingly non-confrontational with her daughter. Aludra felt she was in a state of limbo whenever her mother was around, she never knew when the peace would end, if Walburga would suddenly snap and decide to turn her wand on Aludra.

The school term had just begun and Aludra couldn't wait until Christmas holiday already.

* * *

December 1972

When the long awaited Christmas holidays arrived, Aludra was still waiting for her mother to snap. She hadn't touched her daughter in the months that her sons had been away at school, and Aludra was becoming increasingly nervous with the relative peace in the Black home.

When her siblings finally came home she gave Regulus a quick hug and then dragged Sirius upstairs to her bedroom. She paced in front of him as he lent against the edge of her bed with an eyebrow raised.

"What's going on, Lu?" He asked, concerned by his sister's behavior.

"Mother is what's wrong!" She hissed, not stopping her pacing.

"What has she done, Lu? Has she hurt you?" He stood up, panicked. He stepped in front of her to try and stop her pacing, but Aludra just rerouted her path around him.

"No! That's the point! She hasn't done anything, Sirius!" She ran her hands through her hair, a habit she had picked up over the summer from her eldest brother. "She has barely been here at all, and when she is she's always in father's office or the sitting room, she's never around!" She ranted, stopping her pacing and pulling at her hair.

"Lu," Sirius took her hands from her hair and held onto them tightly, " Isn't that a good thing? She hadn't hurt you, this is what we've wanted. Isn't it?"

"But Sirius! I'm constantly on edge, I feel like she's going to turn around and curse me at any moment. I can hardly sleep, and when I do I have nightmares. I don't know what to do anymore, Rus! I just want her to get it over with, it's like she's playing some sick little game." Aludra's voice trembled with panic.

"Aludra, maybe she's calmed down now that Reg was sorted into Slytherin. Maybe she thinks she only screwed up with me, so now she's stopped bothering you because she thinks you'll be like Reg. It's probably nothing, Lu." Sirius looked down at his little sister, concerned for her panic but not at all worried about their mother's motives.

"I really don't think you understand, Sirius. She has to be planning something. She has to! Why would she suddenly stop what she's always done because of Reg? Everyone knows I follow you, not him!"

Sirius drew his sister into a hug, forcing her to sit down on the edge of her bed. He refused to let her go when she started squirming against his side, eventually drawing giggles out of her.

"Everything will be fine, Lu, I promise." He whispered into her hair, placing a kiss on the top of her head before finally releasing her. "So, what have you done so far with Crane? Is the old bat still as much of a bastard as when I was around?" Aludra snorted at him, the only reason Master Crane was grouchy with Sirius was because of his lack of ability to take his work seriously. The amount of pranks and jokes Sirius had played on the poor tutor made the man resent his oldest pupil. He assigned Sirius long, boring essays to write instead of the interesting reading that Lu was able to do every day.

"Sirius, you and I both know that Master Crane absolutely loves me. Father told him to let me study magical creatures, and he has taken it upon himself to cater my other subjects to beasts as well. It's been fantastic!" Sirius rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm, not understanding how she could actually like the old man.

"Whatever, Lu. We'll have to agree to disagree, I really don't think that man is capable of actually enjoying anything."

"Oh, has anyone told you of what mother has planned for your holiday?" Sirius looked at her with a face full of confusion. Clearly no one felt it necessary to tell him. "We're going to the Lestranges to celebrate Bellatrix and Rodolphus's marriage. They finally married last month, and now they're having the big party."

"You're kidding. We have to spend an entire night with that dreadful family?"

"I'm glad we share the same opinion of this whole party, big brother."

* * *

25 December 1972

Standing in the middle of her bedroom, Aludra was being magically sewn into a plum colored gown that her mother had chosen for her. It had been altered to fit her perfectly by the Black family's seamstress, and as much as she hated to admit it, Aludra thought the dress was gorgeous.

Aludra had been relegated to her bedroom since the previous night. She hadn't seen a single member of her family, her meals had been delivered by Kreacher and her door locked from the outside. She almost felt like she was preparing for her own wedding, not allowed to see anyone until she walked down the aisle.

The seamstress spelled her hair into an elaborate updo, Aludra giggling when the generally upbeat young woman sprinkled the strands with fine sliver glitter. While she didn't want anything to do with the upcoming party, Aludra loved getting pampered by one of her favorite people.

"Hey, Gretta? Can I ask you something?" Aludra questioned suddenly.

"You just did, girlie." The seamstress smirked, her Scottish accent heavy.

"Gretta!" She drew out, holding back a laugh. "Can I?"

"Of course, Allie. You know you can ask me anything. I'm sure you also know that the room is spelled silent, as usual. Your mum likes to think I'm stabbing you with pins and doesn't want to hear you shriek." Aludra snickered, Gretta was one of her few true friends and she knew that she would never hurt her intentionally.

"What house were you in at Hogwarts?"

"Don't tell your folks, but I was in Hufflepuff - a badger. Why do you want to know?"

"What about your family? Where were they all sorted?" Aludra ignored her question and Gretta looked at her, confused.

"Well my pa was in Slytherin with your's as you know, but all of my mum's family has been in Ravenclaw since, well, forever." Aludra scowled for a moment before asking another question.

"How did they react to you being sorted into Hufflepuff?" Gretta raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's with all the questions, girlie? They were all pretty certain I wouldn't be in either of their houses. I'm not exactly the most intelligent or ambitious person. I'm sure they were kind of disappointed, but they understood." Aludra nodded, Gretta eying at her with concern.

"What do you think would happen if I were sorted into somewhere other than Slytherin? Or Gryffindor, with Sirius? What if I disappoint him? He wants me in Gryffindor with him so bad, I don't know if I'm brave enough for that." She whispered, nearly inaudible. Gretta gathered the young girl into a tight hug, hating that she was afraid.

"Girlie, listen to me. Your brother loves you and will no matter what. And damn your family if they do a single thing to you for what house you're sorted into. And I love you and will be by your side no matter what, we both know the only reason I still work with your family is because of you, dear Allie." Aludra sniffled, holding back tears. "And you are one of the bravest people I know, Aludra. Don't forget that."

A knock sounded at the door, startling both of the girls. Gretta moved to the door quickly, cracking it open to see who was there and then opening it fully to let them in.

"Sirius!" Aludra exclaimed, nearly bowling him over in a hug. He was clothed in his dress robes, his hair still wild as usual. "What have you been doing all day? What are you doing in here?"

"Lu! Mother had me cleaning like a damn house elf all day, I think she wanted me out of her way. Are you ready for tonight?" He asked, gently pushing her away to get a look at her. Gretta smiled at the siblings from beside the door.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Rus. Do you know how long we have until we leave?"

"Soon, father sent me up to get you." He said, "You look beautiful, Lu. I'm going to have to hex all the boys at this party to keep them away from you."

"Well, you two, you should probably get downstairs to the fireplace before your family leaves without you." Sirius snorted in response to Gretta's statement, "Never mind, get downstairs before I get my hands on your hair, Sirius Black."

The siblings left the room after that, heading downstairs with Gretta following behind them. Walburga and Regulus sneered at the trio, upset that they had held them up. Orion, however, gave them a small smile.

"Thank you for your help with Aludra, Miss Hornby." He began, "Please tell your father that I said hello. And Aludra, you look wonderful." His daughter murmured a small word of thanks, shuffling her feet.

"Of course, sir. I'll be off, now. Enjoy yourselves tonight." Gretta left quickly, stepping outside and apparating away.

"Well. Now that you're all done jabbering away, we should leave so we aren't later than we already are." Walburga huffed.

"Of course, darling. Let's go, children. It's 'Lestrange Manor' for the floo." Orion informed, stepping into the fireplace and disappearing with a burst of flames as he shouted the words. Walburga and Regulus followed, and then Aludra and Sirius.

Leaving the fireplace, Aludra looked around the massive foyer of the Lestrange Manor. It was filled with people, most of whom Aludra had never seen before. There seemed to be almost no one her age, the youngest gathering of people having to be around sixteen years old. She grabbed at Sirius's hand, nervous about being surrounded by so many unfamiliar people.

The two glanced at each other, silently vowing to not leave the other's side. They walked over to their father, who was speaking with Bellatrix's new husband, Rodolphus Lestrange. There was another man standing beside Rodolphus who looked strikingly similar.

"Aludra, dear. This is Rabastan Lestrange. Do you remember when his parents joined us for dinner last year?" He introduced them, wordlessly asking her to not make a fool of herself.

"Yes, I remember. Hello, Rabastan." She said, not releasing Sirius's hand. She had to admit, the boy was quite handsome, despite being six years her senior.

"It is wonderful to officially meet you, Aludra. My parents have told me a lot about you. Have you all given some thought to their offer? I told them I was alright with it still being on the table." He informed them, his older brother placing a hand on his shoulder in encouragement.

"We have, Rabastan, and we are quite happy that you are still interested. We have decided to wait until Aludra has begun her schooling before drawing up her marriage agreement. If you are still willing we will be in touch come her twelfth birthday next September." Orion answered, staring the young man down. He nodded maturely, and extended a hand to Aludra.

"Well, I would like to get to know your daughter myself, would you mind, Orion? Aludra?" He asked. Aludra looked between her father and Sirius, before deciding to go along with Rabastan. She might as well get to know him if she wasn't going to have much say in the situation.

"I'll be back in a little bit, okay Sirius? Don't go far, please." She begged, before walking off with Rabastan. He brought her through a doorway and out into the magically warmed garden, leading her to a stone bench and motioning for her to sit.

"So, Miss Black, I was happy to hear you would be joining us tonight. Are you excited to begin at Hogwarts next year?" He asked, taking a seat beside her.

"Yeah, I'm really happy to finally be able to go. I've been jealous for the last two years that Sirius has been able to go and I haven't."

"I know what you mean, I was incredibly jealous of Rodolphus when he got to go and I had to wait. It was quite boring at home with only mother and the elves to entertain me." Aludra just nodded, unsure of how to respond. Rabastan ran a hand through his hair nervously, messing up the neatly slicked back strands.

The young man seemed conflicted when Aludra finally risked a glance at his face.

"I have to tell you, Aludra, I am so very sorry for the situation we have found ourselves in." He stated eventually. "I know this must be very scary for you, I can't imagine being eleven years old and facing a potential engagement against my will." Aludra looked up quickly, shocked.

"I, what?" She choked. Rabastan chuckled at her.

"What, surprised that I have some empathy?" He jested.

"Oh, no, I-"

"I'm kidding, Aludra. I'm going to be honest with you, I have no interest in marrying you at this point in our lives. You still have so much to learn about yourself, and I have even more to learn about you. I want to protect you, though. I want to ask your permission to ask your father if I can enter a trial engagement contract with you. I will keep undesirable boys away from you and keep your parents and mine off our backs. What do you say?"

"Oh, wow. Okay, I, bloody hell." Aludra stuttered.

"Language, little one." Rabastan chided jokingly.

"Oh shut up." She laughed, "So you want to enter a fake contract to protect me?" She clarified.

"Essentially, yes, Aludra." He nodded.

"So, what do you expect from me?" She questioned.

"Not much, just your time and company on occasion. Once you start at school I would like to spend meals with you, if you are okay with it."

Aludra pondered his proposition, not seeing any significant downside. As long as Sirius knew the truth, she couldn't see how this would fail.

"Alright, I'm in. I do have one more question though, and you have to swear to not tell anyone." Rabastan raised an eyebrow at her, curious.

"I swear that this conversation is between just the two of us. What is it?"

"Okay, so, hypothetically, what will you do if I'm not sorted into Slytherin?" He looked shocked for a moment before schooling his face back into a nearly blank expression.

"Well, I would still make a point to protect you. You would still be the same person that I'm speaking to now. I wouldn't ask anyone else that question though, little one." Aludra was surprised at his answer, and nearly took his head off with how fast she hugged him.

"Oh, Rab, you are so different from the rest of them, aren't you? Why do you act like them?" Rabastan's lips quirked into a small smile at her new nickname for him, and he nearly laughed at her questions.

"Why do you, Aludra?" He countered.

"I really don't think I do, Rab, but I see your point. Also, don't look now but I believe we're being watched." Rabastan immediately swirled around to the door, and Aludra rolled her eyes. "I told you not to look, Rabastan!" She hissed.

Two figures were peering from the door to the garden, and squinting Aludra could make out her cousin and her new husband's silhouettes.

"Damn it, Rodolphus." Rabastan grumbled.

"We should probably head back inside, Rab. I'm sure Sirius is about to implode with worry." Aludra laughed, Rabastan smiling down at her as they stood from their bench.

"Thank you for speaking with me, Aludra. I'm happy that we have similar views on the predicament we've found ourselves in." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, smirking at the blush that quickly spread across the eleven year old's face.

Aludra nearly sprinted away from the Lestrange boy, not even sparing Rodolphus and Bellatrix a glance as she breezed by them. The foyer has completely cleared, so she peeked through a few doorways before finding the one that was filled with people. Aludra broke into a smile when she finally spotted her brother in the sea of people.

Sirius had been wrapped into what appeared to be an enthralling conversation with an elderly wizard while seated at a table that was shoved into the corner of the ballroom. His hand was supporting his head as he leaned over the table, dutifully ignoring the glares Walburga was sending him from the other side of the room.

Aludra made her way to him sneakily and slapped her hands onto his shoulders. Her brother jumped and swung around, ready to swear at whoever had assaulted him. His face relaxed when he saw who it was, though he still shot her a small glare.

"Hi Rus." She whispered in his ear before straightening and greeting the man who was still rambling, "Hello, sir. I don't believe we've met. My name is Aludra Black."

"Oh," He started, clearly surprised to be interrupted, "I am Caractacus Burke, owner of Borgan and Burkes. Pleasure to meet you, young lady." The man then started rambling once again, the siblings looked at each other and tried not to laugh.

"So, what did Rabastan want?" Sirius asked, ignoring the man.

"We've come to an agreement, but I don't think it's wise to talk about it here. When we get home I'll tell you about it, I promise." She assured, grabbing a half full glass of water that was in front of Sirius.

"Are you about ready to leave? I spoke to father after you left and he said we could head home after you were done speaking to Rabastan. I guess that was the only reason you and by extension I had to be here." Sirius rolled his eyes, even though he was in no way surprised.

"Yes, please. Can we just leave or do we need to tell father we're leaving?" Sirius scoffed at Aludra's question.

"I'm not wasting my time looking for him. He'll know were we went if he tries to find us lated. Let's just go." Aludra nodded and surveyed the room quickly, meeting Rabastan's eyes. He was standing beside his father listening to a conversation between a group of men. She grinned at him and waved, motioning to the foyer. He was attempting to excuse himself when Sirius started dragging his sister toward the exit.

"Hang on a second, Rus." She stopped him in front of the fireplace. Rabastan slid out of the ballroom, making his way to the siblings.

"Are you leaving already?" He asked, eyes only on Aludra.

"Yes, there really isn't much for us to do here. And Sirius is quite curious about our conversation." She replied, grinning cheekily at her older brother. He eyed the two skeptically, not sure of how he felt of their newfound camaraderie.

"I see, I hope you understand why this has to be kept a secret once Aludra tells you of our plan." He cautioned. "It was fantastic to finally meet you, and I'm sure I'll be in touch soon. I'd love to know more about you, Miss Black." He finished formally, motioning to the fireplace.

"Bye, Rab." She whispered, blushing yet again. Sirius stepped into the fireplace after her, and threw down the floo powder after shouting their destination. They were whipped away, landing in their home fireplace with a stumble.

"Okay, let's go change and I'll meet you in your room in a bit, okay Lu?" Sirius stated, Aludra agreeing quickly. They rushed out of their dress clothes, changing into pajamas. Aludra turned down the covers of her bed, waiting for her brother so show up.

Sirius knocked on her door and stepped in when Aludra beckoned him in. He sat beside her on her bed, and crossed his legs.

"So, what do you want to know?" Aludra asked meekly, worried about his reaction to Rabastan.

"I just don't understand, Lu. You went from hating the guy to hugging him within an hour. What the hell did he say to you that convinced you that he's a good wizard?"

"Rus, I think Rabastan has a similar mindset to us. He told me he just wants to protect me and be my friend and he currently has no interest in being engaged to me. He seemed really genuine, Siruis. I trust him."

"I don't know, Aludra. He's six years older than you! Why the hell would he be any different than his family, anyway?"

"Sirius! Aren't we different from our family? We're the same as him!"

"He's a bloody Slytherin, Lu! Why would he want to be friends with someone who is definitely not going to be sorted there? Do you really think he'll be seen talking to you when you're sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast?" Sirius argued.

"First of all, I asked him what he would do if I was sorted elsewhere and he said he wouldn't care! Second, why are you so convinced that I'll be sorted into Gryffindor with you? Maybe I don't want to be a Gryffindor, have you even thought about that?" Aludra shouted, livid.

"What are you talking about, Aludra? Of course you want to be in Gryffindor, it's not like you'd be one of those snakes. And you wouldn't fit in in Ravenclaw, that's for sure. And I would hope that you wouldn't be sorted into Hufflepuff, you aren't useless!"

"Oh sod off, Sirius! Get out of here! I can't believe you think that of all the other houses. Not everyone can be a mighty Gryffindor, you know! Go! I can't look at you right now!" She shot out of bed, shoving him out of her door, slamming it behind him. He tried to turn the knob to let himself back in, but he found that he couldn't even get his hand on it before being shocked with electricity. Sirius couldn't believe it, the last time Aludra had displayed accidental magic she had been only six, and their mother promptly shut her in her bedroom for making a fool out of herself. She must have been intensely angry to show accidental magic again.

* * *

January through June 1973

Sirius left for Hogwarts on a negative note. Aludra had refused to speak to him since their argument on Christmas, and he wasn't sure of how to approach her to apologize. He wasn't even sure if he really wanted to apologize.

Aludra, on the other hand, was desperately trying to think of a way to prove to her brother that everything wasn't how he viewed it. Gryffindors weren't the end all be all of good and Slytherins weren't the end all of the bad. She didn't want to have to fear his reaction to her sorting in addition to the rest of her family. Even Rabastan was already accepting of her potential sorting.

September couldn't come soon enough for Aludra, she wanted to get her sorting over with. She couldn't believe that her future seemed to ride on where she would be sorted at the age of eleven.

Her days dragged on, she was running out of books to read in the family library that weren't on the topic of blood purity and family history. Master Crane had started to allow her to write essays on whatever she wanted, so the man was marking plenty of parchments on erumpents and demiguise.

She tried her best to stay out of her mother's way, but Walburga seemed to have found a new fire and was on a warpath. If Aludra happened to step even slightly out of line she could expect a fast punishment, usually involving her mother's favorite stinging hex. More often than not Aludra went to bed in pain.

Her brothers didn't come home for Easter break, and Aludra was subject to a boring meal served to her and her parents by Kreacher.

Sirius hadn't written her in the months that he'd been gone, despite Aludra's attempts at reaching him. She feared that they had somehow ruined their relationship for good over a stupid spat. The last time she had written him Electra returned with the parchment still sealed, and Aludra decided to give up on trying to reconcile with him while he was at school.

On a day in late May Walburga received a surprise visit from her brother Cygnus. He'd exited the fireplace ranting loudly about blood traitors, startling Aludra who happened to be sitting nearby. Kreacher ushered him into the sitting room where Walburga was lounging, leaving Aludra to eavesdrop from the hall.

"I cannot believe the audacity of that girl!" Cygnus was shouting, "Pregnant - and by a mudblood no less!" Aludra gasped quietly, wondering which of her cousins had angered their father.

"Do you know how far along Andromeda is? There is a chance we could end this before it begins if you understand what I mean." Aludra's eyes widened at her mother's words, they wouldn't force Dromeda to end her pregnancy, would they?

"No, no she is too far along now. She is due in September, and she has already sent me a letter detailing her plans once she graduates. She is going to be residing with that mudblood alone. She no longer wants contact with the House of Black." He was still raging, his words coming out between heavy breaths.

"Allow me to remove her from the tapestry, brother. Surely we cannot have such a person on our family tree any longer." No more noise came from the other side of the door, and Aludra hurried away from it, not wanting to be caught. Her first thought was to send Sirius a letter, but when she remembered their fight she reconsidered.

She couldn't believe that her cousin was pregnant! In her seventh year of Hogwarts, no less! She had to talk to someone about it, and who better than the girl herself.

Aludra skipped up to her bedroom and retrieved a parchment to begin her letter.

 _Dromeda,_

 _Hello! It_ _'s Aludra! I'm not going to lie, I overheard your father and my mother speaking about you and I heard the news - congratulations!_

 _I_ _'m incredibly curious about who the father is, but if you don't want to tell me it is alright. I'm with Sirius when it comes to our family's views, if it makes you feel any better._

 _I hope you_ _'ll allow me to meet the baby, I'm sure they'll be adorable with you as a mother._

 _I don_ _'t know if I should tell you this, but our parents are about the burn you off the tapestry. I've always thought that thing was really stupid, so I hope it doesn't upset you._

 _Anyway, I just needed to talk to someone about what I overheard, and I figured you were the best choice!_

 _All my love,_

 _Aludra_

 _PS - Could you tell me if Sirius is alright? He isn_ _'t speaking with me and I just need to know._

Aludra tied the note to Electra, who was clearly happy she was going to be delivering something again. Aludra set her on her way, telling her who to deliver the note to.

Aludra could hear loud thumps and cackles coming from the floor below, presumably from the office where the tapestry was hung up. She imagined it was only a matter of time before Sirius's portrait met the same fate of Andromeda's, and surely her own wouldn't be far behind. Walburga loved that tapestry more than her own children, and Aludra genuinely couldn't understand why.

There was only a month until Aludra would no longer be the only Black child in the old house, and she was looking forward to it. Her mother seemed to grow more aggressive by the hour, and Aludra was fearful of what would occur if Walburga was angered just a little too much.

Aludra's fears came to a head two weeks later when Walburga learned of the elective classes Sirius was choosing to take the next year.

"Muggle Studies!" She shrieked, nearly tearing the parchment in her hands in her fury. "Did you know of this, girl?" Walburga turned to her daughter who was seated with her in the kitchen.

"No, mother! I haven't spoken to Sirius since Christmas, honest!" She assured, eyes wide. Walburga's face was slowly turning red, and she slammed the parchment down on the table with a loud whack, knocking her mug of tea to the floor with a crash.

"I don't believe you, girl! You two are one in the same, I'd say! Disappointments, the both of you!" She looked crazed to the young girl sitting before her. "Up! Stand up when I speak to you! You need to be taught to respect those above you!"

"Mother, please! I promise I won't disappoint you! Truly!" Aludra begged, terrified of her mother's rage as she drew her wand.

"Oh, we'll see about that. Perhaps I'll give you some incentive - _Crucio!_ " Aludra felt nothing and everything all at once, faintly feeling, but not hearing, herself scream.

The pain stopped momentarily and Aludra found herself curled on the floor beside the breakfast table on top of the broken ceramic that was once a teacup. Her mother breathed deeply before being restarting the torture with the more familiar strike of the stinging hex. Aludra lost count of the intangible lashes that spread across her back, there was nothing she could do.

"Up! Get up, girl!" Walburga suddenly shouted, grasping her daughter around the upper arm and hauling her to her feet. "Get out of my sight! You better never disappoint me in the way that your useless brother has, or this will look like child's play to you, I promise you that." Aludra struggled to leave the kitchen, only able to reach her bedroom once Kreacher took pity on her and apparated her up the stairs.

Aludra tended to her extensive wounds clumsily, cleaning them as well as she could before falling unconscious on top of her bedsheets.

Over the next few days she was in and out of consciousness, barely awake long enough to roll over. She was desperate for the return of her brothers, surely they would help her when they saw the state she was in?

At one point Aludra heard her father's deep voice penetrate through the floor of her bedroom. The shrill tone of her mother's yelling soon joined his, and it sounded like they were both just trying to yell over the other. Their words were muffled by the space between her bedroom and them, but Aludra could easily guess what they were fighting about.

This was the first time that Aludra was aware of that Orion had been home in weeks. She no longer knew where he went off to, he just disappeared for weeks on end. She was sure that he was furious at the state of his only daughter. He never liked to see Aludra hurt.

Eventually the loud shouting from her father ceased and Walburga took to throwing things around in his office, intermittent thumps sounding through the floor. Orion had probably left yet again, not to be seen for weeks.

Soon the third week of June was upon the Black household, and with it came the return of Sirius and Regulus. The two boys were brought home from the station by Kreacher, and they expected their sister to excitedly greet them at the door. When she was nowhere to be seen upon their arrival, a chill went through both of them simultaneously.

They both rushed up the stairs, leaving their trunks behind in the foyer. Sirius reached Aludra's door first and pounded on it loudly. Regulus was by his side by the time he opened the door, and they both stopped in their tracks at the sight of their little sister.

She was lying prone in her bed, her sheets covered in dark, dried blood. Her hair was greasy and it looked like she was wasting away.

"Oh my god," Regulus whispered, rooted to his spot.

"What happened to her?" Sirius murmured to no one in particular, stepping toward his sister. She hadn't even twitched at their loud entrance. "Aludra? Lu?" He placed his hand on her shoulder, trying his best to not press too hard.

The girl groaned, still not moving. Her eyes slowly opened, squinting at the light that flooded through the windows. She took a few moments to finally focus on her brother, who was hovering immediately over her.

"Sirius?" she mumbled.

"I'm here, Lu. Reg is, too. We're here." He assured quietly.

"Sirius."

"Aludra, what happened? How long have you been like this?" Regulus came behind Sirius, spitting out his questions.

"Sirius." She said again.

"Lu, I'm here. I'm back. I promise, what happened, baby?"

"Mother, she-" Aludra's voice broke as her eyes flooded with tears. Sirius's mirrored hers, and he tried his best to not let them fall.

"Mother did this to you? When?" Regulus coaxed.

"Classes, owl, she-"

"Oh, Lu. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for you to get hurt." Sirius apologized, his tears now running freely at the realization that he had accidentally caused his sister pain.

"What are you talking about, Sirius? What did you do?" Regulus pushed, confused.

"I-I chose to take Muggle Studies as one of my electives next year. I didn't think that it would make it's way home so quickly, I thought I would be the one to get the brunt of mother's anger, I swear."

"How could you, Sirius? This is all your fault! You made mother angry so she tortured our little sister!" Regulus spat, shoving himself into Sirius's personal space.

"Stop. Please, Sirius-" Aludra's voice was nearly inaudible, her eyes falling closed before she forced them open again. "Can you read to me, Rus?" Regulus looked at his brother, still angry. He left the room quickly, as clearly his presence wasn't desired.

"Of course, Lu. The one on your nightstand okay?" She murmured her approval and he reached across her to grab the book that sat on the table. He was shocked to read the title, it was one that Remus had given him when he'd learned of his furry little problem, 'Hairy Snout, Human Heart'.

He began reading her the book, starting on the page that she'd marked with a red and gold ribbon. She was quickly unconscious again, and Sirius remarked the same page because he was certain she wouldn't remember a word of what he'd read.

Sirius was furious with himself. If he hadn't of been so selfish, if he hadn't ignored her, if he'd written her when Andromeda told him that Aludra was worried, maybe she wouldn't be here. He scanned her body fully, noticing the plethora of small, deep cuts that covered the entirety of her left leg. They were all scabbed over, though some had clearly reopened when she moved even slightly. He hadn't even bothered to continue searching for healing spells while he was at school, he just let himself have fun while his little sister sat at home and suffered on his behalf.

He needed to write James, surely he would have an idea of what to do.

* * *

Happy New Year! Let's hope for a better 2017.


	5. Chapter 5

Summer 1973

During the time that Aludra was bedridden, Sirius made a point to teach her anything she wanted to learn. The two spent a lot of time talking about Charms, and how Sirius and his friends had been using their newfound knowledge to harass their schoolmates.

Sirius told Aludra stories of how the Marauders (as the group of friends were now known) pranked the whole school just before exams. It involved a close friendship with the house elves and a bit of potions know how on Remus's part. The quartet had managed to make The entire student body turn gold with bright red hair for an entire week, much to the hatred of the Slytherins.

He also told her of how Quidditch tryouts had failed spectacularly for him and went brilliantly for James, how James had blown everyone away with his quaffle handling skills and how he'd never stood a chance against the seventh year who'd also tried out for the open beater position. He was quick to say that he would be trying out again this following year, and he would definitely make the team.

In return, Sirius asked Aludra of what had happened over the school year. He apologized again and again for being the cause of her pain.

Aludra asked him if he was aware of Andromeda's pregnancy, and a blank expression of shock was her answer. She laughed at him, and explained what had happened when their Uncle Cygnus had come by.

The height of excitement for Aludra was when her brother informed her that he'd signed up to take Care of Magical Creatures for the sole reason of teaching her what he learned in class. She was still unable to support her own weight on her injured leg, so she bounced in place and half-tackled Sirius in a hug.

Aludra made Sirius cover the mirrors in her bedroom for entire month of July, she hated the new scars that adorned her body. Eventually, Sirius had to force her to look at them, she couldn't go on avoiding her own reflection for the rest of her life.

Sirius wrote back and forth with the Marauder's over the summer, completely hijacking the use of Electra. He made sure to write to Remus after the full moon, and was in talks with James to figure out a way to help out their friend.

He had to be incredibly secretive with the letters that were shared between his friends, as one wrong move could lead to Remus's secret being shared with his entire family. He knew Aludra really wouldn't be bothered beyond being empathetic of Remus's struggles, but he hated to think of what Regulus would say to his friends if he found out. It would take no time at all for the news to spread throughout the entirety of Hogwarts.

* * *

25 August 1973

Aludra woke up to a heavy mass landing on top of her. She flung her legs out to try and get rid of the weight, but the mass only went limp and started cackling.

"Sirius! Get off!" She grumbled.

"Lu! Get up! We're going to Diagon Alley today and mother is sending just the two of us! Get up!" He started tickling her sides, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stand it.

"Okay! Okay, off! I'll be ready in ten minutes, but you have to get off!" She was finally able to dislodge him, kicking her feet into his stomach and flinging him onto the floor. He groaned, still laughing, and stumbled his way out of the room. Aludra quickly got out of bed, stripping out of her pajamas as she walked towards her wardrobe. She froze in front of the mirror as she walked past it.

Her entire right side was covered in small scars. There was not a section of more than two centimeters that was unscathed. She ran a hand over the raised marks, trying to hold back tears. It wasn't enough for Walburga to leave emotional scars, she had now resorted to leaving physical ones as well. Lots of physical ones.

Aludra rushed to get dressed, wanting to hid the ugly marks. She ran a brush through her waist length hair and hurried to the sitting room where Sirius would be waiting to floo to Diagon Alley.

"Finally! Let's go before mother changes her mind!" Sirius practically flung her into the fireplace, holding out the ceramic dish of floo powder to her and shooing her along.

Coughing, Aludra stumbled out into the Leaky Cauldron, Sirius stumbling out of the fireplace behind her soon after. Her excitement was growing now that they had left Grimmauld Place, now bordering on giddy.

"Can we go get my wand first? Please Sirius? Please!" She bounced back and forth on her feet, the moment she'd been waiting for for two years was finally here. Sirius just smirked and nodded, taking her hand as they walked toward the dusty shop.

Sirius had to yank Aludra out of people's way numerous times, she seemed to be ignorant of the massive crowd, only having eyes for Ollivander's.

A bell rang above the siblings as Aludra pushed her way into the shop. She was still bouncing on her toes slightly, however now she seemed to be radiating nervousness.

"Miss Aludra Black! How lovely it is to see you again!" The white haired shop owner crowed from a doorway on the opposite side from the store. The girl grinned and waved at Ollivander slightly.

"Hello, sir. It's finally my turn for a wand." She responded. Ollivander immediately started perusing the shelves, pulling a few boxes.

"Of course, of course. Let me see here - oh dear." A box that was stuffed at the very bottom of a stack was vibrating sending those on top of it falling to the floor. He pulled the box before it could cause anymore damage, and brought it to the counter where the Black siblings were watching in confusion.

"What just happened?" Sirius finally asked what the two children were thinking.

"It seems this particular wand likes you, Miss Black. I have to say, I am quite surprised. Here, here, try it out." He plucked the wand from its box, placing it in Aludra's hand. A shot of energy flew through Aludra, culminating in a spray of blue sparks that flew from the wand's tip.

"Oh!" She exclaimed.

"Fantastic! Just fantastic! Miss Black, I made this wand many, many years ago when I was just beginning my wand making journey. It has sat untouched here since I began using only the three most powerful wand cores - unicorn hair, dragon heartstring and phoenix feather. This wand - your wand, however, was made with unicorn hair and fairy wings, which is quite the interesting combination."

"Does that mean I'm not a powerful witch?" She asked in horror.

"Oh, of course not, child! This wand here has a duel core, and the unicorn hair more than makes up for the fairy wing's perceived weakness. You should expect to be quite good at charms, my girl. And chestnut wood - fantastic for work with magical creatures. "

"Wow, really?" Aludra perked up again. "My wand can tell you all that?"

"Why, of course. Every wand has its own personality which suits the witch or wizard it chooses. That is why some wands just don't work for some people." Ollivander confirmed, happy to answer questions about his life's work.

"Wow, Lu. I guess your interest in magizoology is your life's calling or something." Sirius said from beside his sister, intrigued by Aludra's wand.

"Thank you, Mister Ollivander!" Aludra happily exclaimed.

"It was no chore on my part, Miss Black. You be on your way now." Sirius handed the man the seven galleons for his sister's wand as they left the shop. Aludra was staring at her wand in wonder, amazed that the day had finally come.

"Well, Lu, what next?" He interrupted her thoughts, wanting to get moving.

"Can we go to Madam Malkins and get my robe fitting over with?" Sirius shrugged and dragged his sister to the clothing store, and stood dutifully to the side as she was fitted by the stern faced seamstress. The siblings hurried out of the shop once they had payed for the robes, not wanting to hang around any longer than necessary. They continued on shopping, checking things off of Aludra's supply list as they went.

"Hey, let's stop in here for a minute." Sirius pointed to the Magical Menagerie, confusing his sister.

"Why? We already have Electra, why would we go to the pet store?"

"Just humor me, Lu, please?" He shoved her toward the shop, a group of nifflers following the siblings as they passed the window. They all scrambled against the glass, wanting to get at the dragon claw necklace that Aludra was wearing.

A bell rang as they stepped into the stinky store, the smell of animal waste barely being masked with the artificial smell of vanilla. Aludra was immediately enamored with the plethora of creatures that resided in the small cages that lined the walls. She started wandering around, stopping every so often to greet a creature. She picked up a puffskein from a basket, rubbing her face in its fur with a giggle.

"So, do you see anything you like?" Sirius asked, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Aludra whirled around to look at him, her face beginning to light up in excitement.

"Seriously? I can get one? I can get a pet?" She skipped over to her brother and tried to draw him into a hug, forgetting the puffskein that was still in her arms. The ball of fluff squeaked as it was squished between the siblings, and Aludra quickly let her brother go and apologized to the poor creature before putting it back in the basket that it had been sitting in.

"As long as it's allowed at school I'll be happy to buy it for you, Lu. What would you like to look at?"

"Oh, a cat, let's go look at the cats!" His sister seemed to have found a new rush of energy, dragging him over to the wall of cats in cages. She stuck her fingers into a few of the cages, the cats all gravitating to her and rubbing against her fingers.

"Hello! Are you looking to get a cat today?" The Black siblings jumped at the employee's upbeat voice, turning to him.

"Yes, my sister is going to Hogwarts this year and she wanted to get a cat. Any recommendations?" Sirius asked, while Aludra went back to greeting all the felines in the shop.

"Well, we have a litter of kittens that are ready to go today, just nine weeks old. They're all quite friendly and energetic." The man gestured to a pen that was set up near the back of the shop, in it were eight orange kittens, sleeping in a pile. Aludra went over to peek in, but was distracted by a emaciated white cat that was asleep in a cage behind the counter.

"Who's this?" She pointed to the cat. The shop employee grimaced, wringing his hands together.

"That cat? Oh, he doesn't have a name. He's been sick since he was delivered and we still aren't certain he will survive."

"I want him." Aludra stated, crossing her arms.

"I'm afraid I can't sell you him, dear. I couldn't in good conscience sell you a sick cat, now could I?"

"Well, what's wrong with him?" Aludra pushed, not wanting to take no for an answer. Sirius just stood to the side, watching the interaction.

"He has a quite severe upper respiratory infection. He requires potions every eight hours for the next two weeks. I really shouldn't sell him to anybody."

"That's it? Why is he still sick? Those infections are easily cured in cats within five hours of quarterly potions! The two week course only has a sixty percent success rate!"

"Child, we have a business to run. I cannot spend all my time with a poorly cat, so we do the two week treatment and hope for the best."

"Sell him to me, then. I'll buy the potions and he'll be better within the day. I can't believe you'd let a defenseless creature suffer like this!" She glared at the man. Sirius finally stepped in, knowing Aludra was at her wits end.

"Sir, just sell us the cat, she's not leaving here without it. I can guarantee you that." The shop employee threw his head back and groaned, stalking behind the counter and moving the cat's cage to the register. The cat woke up, peering around with huge blue eyes. Aludra cooed at the animal, running a finger over its head.

"Nine galleons." The man stated, clearly fed up with the two children.

"Seven, the cat is sick and we're taking it off your hands." Sirius countered. The employee just rolled his eyes and nodded, accepting the coins from Sirius. He shooed the siblings out of the shop, slamming the door behind them just as Aludra cleared the doorway with the cat's cage.

"Arse." She muttered, Sirius barking out a laugh.

"Well, now that that's done-"

"Aludra!" A deep voice shouted, the girl spinning to see Rabastan standing next to a bench a few feet away. She grinned and walked over, ignoring her brother's grumbles of annoyance.

"Rab! How are you?" She set down the cat's cage to hug her friend. Rabastan kissed the top of her head as she pulled away.

"I'm doing well, shopping for my last year at school. And who's this?" He bent down to peer in the cage, the cat meowing at him. Sirius was sulking at the other end of the bench, mad that his sister's attention had been stolen.

"We just bought him! He's sick and the Menagerie wasn't helping him! So I am, he'll be better within the day, I guarantee it!" She proclaimed, Rabastan chuckling at her.

"But of course, little one. So are you excited for the first? Finally off to your first year at Hogwarts!" He sat down, patting the bench beside him. Aludra joined him, ignoring her brother's groans.

"I am! I got my wand and robes and all my supplies and books. I can't wait for the sorting ceremony and the first day of classes and-" She cut herself off, "I'm rambling. Sorry." She giggled at herself.

"That's okay, Aludra." Rabastan smiled at her. "Where is the rest of your family, anyway?" He asked, looking around the street.

"Not here." Sirius muttered.

"Regulus decided to go supply shopping with a friend from school last week, and mother decided to send us alone this year. I guess she couldn't be bothered." Aludra clarified, shrugging.

"I'm here alone, too. I'm supposed to be meeting some friends in about," Rabastan glanced at his watch, Aludra sneaking a look as well, "twenty minutes, I just figured I'd get my shopping out of the way." Aludra's eyes widened at the time, and she jumped up off the bench.

"Sirius, it's almost dinner time! Mother is going to throw a fit if we aren't home in time!" She gave a flustered Rabastan a quick hug and grabbed the handle of the cat cage, walking towards the Leaky Cauldron, expecting Sirius to follow. She swung back around to shout to Rabastan, "See you on the train!"

The man waved at her, shouting the same sentiment back. The siblings had to fight their way through the crowd that had gathered in the Leaky Cauldron, elbowing a few people to reach the fireplaces. Aludra flooed home first, clutching the cat's cage tightly.

Thankfully there was no one in the sitting room to see the siblings return. Their mother would certainly be furious if she saw Aludra's new feline companion. The two went to their bedrooms to prepare for dinner, Aludra dosing the cat with its potion and setting out a bowl of water.

"Here you go, kitty. I promise you'll feel better soon." She cooed to the cat, stroking down its back.

* * *

Hi! So, I edited (and posted) this while under the influence of a significant amount of spiced rum, so please excuse (and inform me of) any mistakes! I'm trying to keep to an every Saturday release schedule.

I'm not the biggest fan of this chapter (understatement of the century), but I'm going to have to let that go. We've finally learned of the origin of this story's title! Shorter chapter this week as the next chapter is what I've been most looking forward to - Lu gets sorted and starts Hogwarts!


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